Lockheed Martin plans to conduct the first flight tests of the AGM-158 XR (eXtreme Range), the newest and longest-range member of the AGM-158 JASSM cruise missile family, before the end of this year.
The company also intends to make the AGM-158 family more modular, allowing missiles to be configured more easily for different ranges and payload options, according to Axios.
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The maximum range of the AGM-158 XR has not yet been officially disclosed. However, estimates suggest it could reach between 1,600 and 1,800 km. By comparison, the AGM-158B JASSM-ER has a range of approximately 980 km.
If these estimates prove accurate, the AGM-158 XR could match or even exceed the range of the BGM-109 Tomahawk, which in its latest variants can strike targets at distances of up to 1,600 km.
Unlike the Tomahawk, however, the AGM-158 XR is an air-launched cruise missile. It can be carried by the F-35, F/A-18E/F, and F-15E, as well as by all current U.S. strategic bombers, including the B-1B, B-2 Spirit, and B-52H. The missile is also expected to be integrated with the future B-21 Raider.
Alternative launch options are also being explored. These include launches from naval and ground platforms equipped with Mk 41 vertical launch systems, as well as palletized launches from transport aircraft under the Rapid Dragon concept.
The AGM-158 XR is equipped with a 450-kg penetrating warhead. However, its reportedly modular architecture suggests that alternative payload options could be introduced in the future.
Many of the missile's characteristics remain undisclosed. Although the AGM-158 XR was unveiled two years ago, Lockheed Martin has released only limited information about its capabilities. Its speed and guidance systems are expected to remain broadly similar to those of previous AGM-158 variants.
The missile is believed to have a maximum speed of around 1,000 km/h and to use a combination of inertial navigation, GPS guidance, TERCOM terrain-following navigation, and an infrared seeker for terminal guidance.
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