The US Navy is adding a new long-range cruise missile to its arsenal

The “conventional, stealthy, air-launched ground attack cruise missile,” the Marines said, has a range of 230 miles. It was first used in combat in 2018, when US Air Force B-1B Lancer bombers fired the AGM-158A to destroy a Syrian chemical weapons manufacturer.

The weapon’s range is especially valuable amid a growing need for separation capabilities. “The integration of the AGM-158A Joint Air-to-Surface Missile into the F/A-18’s arsenal significantly enhances the Hornet’s capabilities, allowing it to engage targets beyond the range of enemy defenses,” said Maj. Bradley Kirby. , said an aviation weapons officer with the 3rd Seaplane Wing.

Stand-off weapons such as the AGM-158 are useful for striking the enemy from longer distances without exposing aircraft to air defense systems, and in this case the weapon’s stealth and programming capabilities make them difficult to knocked down

There is a reason for the interest in JASSM for Ukraine as it battles the Russians, although it is unclear at this point whether this capability is on the table. “The JASSM not only exceeds the capabilities of any other weapon currently in the Hornet’s extended weapons portfolio, but the Marine Corps as a whole,” Kirby said.

The AGM-158 is manufactured by Lockheed Martin and can also be used on the F-35B and F-35C aircraft. It has an extended-range version, the AGM-158B, and an anti-ship version, the AGM-158C. The Marines are in the process of acquiring both variants.