The Royal Australian Air Force's F-35 and F/A-18 fighters will receive new AGM-158B JASSM-ER missiles with a launch range of 980km at a cost of $380m

The Australian Defence Force will not be limited to Joint Strike Missile (JSM) and AGM-158C Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) missiles for the Royal Air Force. The Australian service's fighters will be armed with Lockheed Martin's air-to-surface missiles.

Here's What We Know

The missiles in question are the AGM-158B Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile - Extended Range (JASSM-ER). The extended-range warhead achieved initial operational capability in 2010, some two years after going into mass production.

The JASSM-ER is a subsonic missile. It is capable of a flight speed of 775-1000 km/h (Mach 0.65-0.85) and has a launch range of 980 km. The missile has a WDU-42/B (J-1000) warhead weighing 435-450 kg with an AFX-757 explosive weight of about 110 kg.

Australia will arm F-35 Lightning II and F/A-18 Super Hornet fighters with JASSM-ER missiles. Each aircraft can carry two missiles. A$558m ($380m) will be allocated for the JASSM-ER purchase over five years, including AU$180m ($122.7m) in 2023-24.

Source: Breaking Defense