US putting stealth before speed in hypersonic missile race

The US is betting on its next-generation stealth long-range strike weapon, representing a significant leap over its outdated missile arsenal and contrasting with emerging hypersonic designs from its near-peer adversaries in Russia and China.

This month, The War Zone reported US defense contractor Lockheed Martin has unveiled the AGM-158 Extreme Range (XR) Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) variant at the Air Force Association’s Air, Space & Cyber 2024 event near Washington, DC.

The XR variant, designed to meet the evolving needs of warfighters, features a stretched fuselage to accommodate more fuel, a feature that extends its range to approximately 1,600 kilometers, comparable to the Tomahawk missile.

The War Zone report notes that this enhancement leverages existing production lines and modularity, allowing for inline upgrades and digital integration. The report says the AGM-158 XR can carry a 450-kilogram warhead and provide a long-range, survivable strike capability against highly-defended targets, particularly in the Pacific theater.

It mentions that the low-observable design and advanced targeting systems enhance its effectiveness in dense combat environments.

Lockheed Martin targets a production goal of 1,100 missiles per year, which could be used in various aircraft, including bombers, fighters and cargo planes. The War Zone mentions that the XR variant is expected to reduce refueling needs and increase operational tempo, offering significant benefits to the US military and its allies.

Testing of the AGM-158 XR is anticipated to begin in the coming years. The AGM-158 XR aims to address shortcomings in range, survivability, and stealth that legacy missiles like the Harpoon and Tomahawk now struggle to