US Air Force plans to buy over 11,000 long-range missiles to boost Pacific strike power

The U.S. Air Force intends to acquire more than 11,000 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles (JASSM) and Long-Range Anti-Ship Missiles (LRASM) over the next five to seven years. This ambitious plan significantly exceeds current procurement targets and underscores the Pentagon's directive for the defense industry to rapidly increase production capacity for critical munitions to near wartime levels. The procurement covers multiple batches of both missile types, including associated logistics, software support, and expansion of existing production facilities. The first missiles are expected to be delivered 27 months after the contract is awarded. This initiative comes at a time when the U.S. military is replenishing stocks following recent military actions and signaling a strong demand for increased production capabilities, particularly for potential conflicts in the Pacific. JASSM and LRASM are members of the AGM-158 family of long-range cruise missiles, featuring stealthy designs and warheads exceeding 1,000 pounds. Their range extends from approximately 370 kilometers for the basic version to around 900 kilometers for extended-range variants. The U.S. Air Force acknowledges that substantially increasing production requires significant upfront investment. Lockheed Martin, the manufacturer, has stated it has already invested over $7 billion in expanding critical weapons production capacity since the first Trump administration, with approximately $2 billion allocated to accelerating missile production.