US Navy to dramatically increase missile production - Tomahawk by 500%, AGM-158 JASSM / LRASM by 100%

The US Navy is preparing for a surge in production of AGM-158C LRASM anti-ship missiles and Tomahawk cruise missiles. This was announced by the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) at the Sea Air Space 2023 conference.

Here's What We Know

The AGM-158C LRASM is a modification of the AGM-158 JASSM precision-guided air-to-surface cruise missile used by the US Air Force. Lockheed Martin currently produces about 500 missiles annually. The Navy wants to increase production of JASSM and LRASM to more than 1,000 per year.

The Navy is also considering a jump in production of Raytheon's Tomahawk cruise missiles. Production will increase sixfold. This is due to demand for the Tomahawk Block V from foreign customers and US forces. Japan and Australia, in particular, want to order 400 and 200 Block V level missiles, which have a longer range and can change target during flight.

The US Navy acknowledges that the jump in Tomahawk production is very steep, especially given the current state of the industrial base. A US Navy spokesman said the service is working closely with Raytheon. The US company has not yet commented on the upcoming production increases.

Source: Naval News