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.
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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.
