The Royal Australian Air Force has declared initial operational capability for the AGM-158C Long Range Anti-Ship Missile and AGM-158B Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile-Extended Range on its F/A-18F Super Hornet fleet. The Australian Department of Defence confirmed the milestone, which places both U.S.-made Lockheed Martin weapons into operational service after testing and live-fire validation on the Boeing aircraft.
The weapons give Australia longer-range strike options against maritime and land targets. LRASM provides a maritime strike capability beyond 370 km, while JASSM-ER extends land-attack reach to about 900 km from the launch aircraft. Defence linked the IOC to operational testing that covered loading, targeting and successful engagements from F/A-18F aircraft.
Validation included trials at the Point Mugu Sea Range in the United States, the Woomera Test Range in South Australia and activity associated with RIMPAC. Previous live-fire events included LRASM testing in February 2025 and JASSM-ER firing in November 2025. The same Defence release also referred to a more recent LRASM launch from a P-8A Poseidon during RIMPAC 26, underlining broader Australian adoption of the missile family.