HAWAII — The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has significantly expanded its long-range maritime strike capabilities following the successful testing of the AGM-158C Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) on a P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft. The milestone integration was conducted by personnel from the RAAF’s 92 Wing (11 Squadron and 12 Squadron) during Exercise Medusa Fury in Hawaii.
This development transitions Australia’s LRASM deployment capabilities beyond the F/A-18F Super Hornet, transforming the P-8A Poseidon from an intelligence and anti-submarine platform into a formidable standoff strike asset. The successful test directly supports Australia’s National Defence Strategy (NDS), which emphasizes a “strategy of denial”—establishing a credible deterrent by holding adversary naval forces at risk at extended ranges.
WGCDR Melissa Houston, Commanding Officer of 11 Squadron, highlighted that the LRASM represents the most sophisticated maritime strike capability ever fielded by the RAAF, enabled through extensive coordination with the United States Navy and industry partners.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS: AGM-158C LRASM & RAAF STRIKE CAPABILITY
* Missile Platform: AGM-158C Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM)
* Primary Target Profile: High-value, well-defended surface combatants and maritime targets
* Operational Range: In excess of 370 km (200+ nautical miles)
* Guidance & Navigation: Precision-guided, semi-autonomous targeting architecture designed to navigate contested electronic warfare environments and autonomously identify specific target signatures within a fleet.
* Host Aircraft: Boeing P-8A Poseidon (92 Wing currently operates 13 P-8As out of RAAF Base Edinburgh).
* Broader Strike Context: This capability complements the RAAF’s F/A-18F Super Hornet fleet, which successfully tested the LRASM in February 2025, and the AGM-158B JASSM-ER (Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile – Extended Range) in November 2025, which provides land-strike capabilities up to 900 km.
By pairing the extreme sensor range of the P-8A Poseidon with the survivability and reach of the LRASM, the Australian Defence Force (ADF) has established a highly flexible, integrated airborne layer for long-range maritime denial.
