F-35C Naval Fighter Tests With AGM-158C Anti-Ship Missiles
The U.S. Navy is testing an F-35C fighter carrying two AGM-158C Long-Range Anti-Ship Missiles (LRASM) as part of a weapons integration effort.
The tests are being conducted at NAS Patuxent River in Maryland under the responsibility of the Pax River F-35 Integrated Test Force (Pax ITF).
The Lockheed Martin carrier-based naval fighter was imaged flying with two AGM-158Cs in underwing pylons on Sept. 10.
The aircraft evaluated vibration, loads and flight quality with the two missiles carried during two tests.
According to the U.S. Navy, the LRASM “is a defined near-term solution for the Offensive Anti-Surface Warfare (OASuW) air-launch capability gap that will provide flexible, long-range, advanced, anti-surface capability against high-threat maritime targets.”
The AGM-158C is a large-scale missile used by bombers such as the U.S. Air Force’s B-1B Lancer.
The Navy, however, is adapting its fighters to launch the weapon amid growing tensions with China, which has expanded its navy with the addition of a new large aircraft carrier, the Fujian.
The F/A-18E/F is already capable of firing the LRASM, and the F-35C is expected to follow suit, although the missile will have to be carried externally since it does not fit in the internal weapons bay.
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