The Air Force Long Range Weapon programme is expected to include air-to-air and air-to-surface variants. According to an industry day notice released on Wednesday, both variants should meet Pentagon priorities linked to China-focused near-peer defence planning scenarios.
The notice said both variants should have a minimum range of 1,000 nautical miles to strike “priority air, land and sea targets far and fast.” It did not specify which aircraft would launch the missiles.
The release highlighted the missiles’ ability to strike in a “responsive manner,” language that mirrors similar U.S. military wording used for hypersonic systems. The Air Force will prioritise fielding the air-to-air variant and may use multiple vendors for the programme.
The planned missile specifications represent a significant range increase over existing air-launched systems used by U.S. forces for anti-air and maritime strike missions. Many of those current systems were originally designed around Cold War-era requirements.
The effort comes as U.S. forces assigned to the Western Pacific seek new technologies and tactics to counter Chinese air, naval and missile forces. The goal is to operate against Beijing’s established area-denial networks while also improving long-range strike options.
The U.S. Air Force has also been working to distribute aircraft across Pacific islands to reduce vulnerability to Beijing’s long-range strike capabilities. At the same time, it is developing the “long-range kill chain” concept to strike mobile enemy forces, including naval vessels.
The concept, set out by Air Force leadership at the start of the decade, aims to detect, track and destroy mobile enemy forces. In 2022, a planning event identified the need for U.S. forces to field “weapons and delivery systems necessary to engage the adversary both from within and without of their own ‘denied’ airspace.”
Existing American systems such as the Tomahawk Land Attack Missile and the stealthy Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile can strike Chinese forces. However, U.S. service branches are also seeking to operationalise new systems for future operational requirements.
The U.S. Army wants to field a maritime-strike variant of the Precision Strike Missile launched from the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System. That system is intended to strike maritime targets at ranges of up to 540 nautical miles.
U.S. Navy carrier air wings and Air Force bombers are also testing new maritime strike bombs, mines and missiles. These efforts reflect a wider U.S. focus on improving options for long-range engagements in the Indo-Pacific.
Beijing’s posture inside the first island chain could create major challenges for Washington in contingencies involving Taiwan and the South China Sea. Chinese aircraft carriers now deploy on blue-water missions into the Philippine Sea.
The People’s Liberation Army Air Force operates a large fleet of heavy fighter, bomber, aerial refuelling and reconnaissance aircraft. Those warplanes regularly rehearse targeting notional air and naval forces coming to Taiwan’s aid during drills.
Recent U.S.-led drills, deployments and infrastructure efforts in the Central and Western Pacific have shown new approaches shaped by challenges from China. These include force dispersion, the reactivation of former Pacific War airfields and the use of new unmanned fighter drones.
Source: USNI News.
