1,000-Mile Range: JASSM XR Missile Is a ‘Nightmare’ for China

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Key Points: The AGM-158 JASSM (Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile) now has an Extreme Range (XR) variant, unveiled by Lockheed Martin.

-With a range of 1,000 miles—up from 230 miles—this missile enhances U.S. strike capabilities while countering China’s anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) strategies.

-Compatible with various aircraft, the JASSM XR allows for stand-off operations, increasing sortie rates and operational efficiency.

-Its naval variant further strengthens maritime strike potential, targeting enemy ships with precision.

-While untested, the missile’s adaptability for existing production lines promises swift deployment.

-The JASSM XR underscores the U.S. commitment to maintaining a tactical edge in potential Indo-Pacific conflicts.

Why JASSM XR Matters and China Should Be Concerned

Defense contractor expos are common in the military hardware world. Contractors exhibit the latest whiz-bang products and allow attendees to peruse new end items. Much of this consists of routine public relations, sales, and marketing efforts for the various standard features of existing platforms. Sometimes, manufacturers unveil fresh upgrades that are, for lack of a better word – “cool.” And that means some big news for the JASSM, or AGM-158 missile.

Where Was This Big Boy Unveiled?

Such is the case with the Lockheed Martin exhibition at the Air Space and Cyber Conference a few months back at National Harbor, Maryland, outside of Washington, DC. Lockheed unveiled a new variant of the powerful and popular Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) class of weapons.

This, called AGM-158, is a long-range, stand-off, stealthy cruise missile for the U.S. Air Force and the Navy, which has its anti-ship version of JASSM.

Now, the JASSM has added an Extreme Range (XR), or JASSM XR, variant to the missile, which has people salivating about how it could engage China should a deep strike capability be needed in the Indo-Pacific against Beijing’s radar installations or naval vessels.

Defense Contractor Is Glowing with Confidence

Lockheed is excited about the modification. John Hill, Lockheed Martin’s general manager for air dominance and strike weapons, explained at the show, “I would say that the ‘158 XR’ really is a story of innovation and anticipating the warfighters’ needs. It leverages an existing production line, production processes… When we think of XR, think of that as extreme range. What it really does is it stretches the existing JASSM and LRASM family, that outer mold line, to give us more fuel, essentially, and that buys us the range that we need and that the warfighters need.”

Check Out These Specs for JASSM XR

The AGM-158 XR JASSM has a longer body to store more fuel for its long journey toward targets. This gives it a 1,000-mile range compared to the original JASSM’s 230-mile range.

It has a huge 1,000 pound warhead. It could even sacrifice warhead size to carry more fuel for even a longer range. Lockheed wants to build at least 1,100 AGM-158 XRs a year.

JASSMs can be carried by the B-1B Lancer, B-2 Spirit, B-52H Stratofortress, F-15E Strike Eagle, F-15EX, F-16C/D, F/A-18C/D, and possibly later the F-35.

Don’t Forget the U.S. Navy

The naval version is equally mighty. It uses an infrared seeker to discover better, identify, and lock on to enemy shipping. A newfangled data link helps command and control better guide the missile. This allows the missiles to communicate with each other during flight to adjust to moving targets.

Powerful and Accurate

This weapon has numerous tactical and operational advantages. The first is the stand-off over-the-horizon capability, which allows the Air Force and Navy to send a low-detection heavyweight missile to repeatedly hit paydirt.

Fire, Forget, and Do It Again

The next advantage is airplane operational tempo. Since it is such a long-range standoff weapon, bombers and fighters can stay away from enemy radar detection and fly closer to home bases or carriers, launch a JASSM at extreme range, return to the base or carrier, load up, and do it again quickly. This increases the sortie rate.

Take the Air Out of Anti-Access/ Area Denial

Third, it allows the United States to foil China’s anti-access/ area denial efforts by staying out of the A2/AD bubble. This is the best part of the JASSM extreme range and shows that the Americans are serious about missile tactics and operational art. While JASSM is a conventional weapon and not nuclear-tipped, it still packs a punch with that huge warhead and longer range.

No Need to Re-invent the Wheel

Fourth, JASSM extreme range can be manufactured on existing production lines, which allows more to be assembled without re-inventing or re-tooling a new facility.

Doom On You, China

If there is ever a shooting engagement with China, the JASSM will play a huge role. This will be a missile fight and stand-off weapons duel with the United States trying to stay out of range of China’s ships and airplanes. Foiling A2/AD will be a significant part of the battle should one ever occur with Beijing.

One downside is that the JASSM extreme range has not been tested, but it is a safe bet that it will eventually conform to the U.S. military’s requirements.

Overall, this cruise missile will be decisive in battle, and the anti-ship version is thrilling since China has a larger navy that patrols the South China Sea in substantial numbers. There will someday be a contested air space and the JASSM extreme range is built for that contingency.

So, this time, a defense expo has unveiled something significant. Let’s hope this cruise missile can live up to its marketing hype.

About the Author: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood

Brent M. Eastwood, PhD, is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare, plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for U.S. Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former U.S. Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.