The Air Force is launching an effort to develop a new stand-off missile with a range of 1,000 nautical miles, or 1,150 miles, that would eventually be used for both air-to-air and air-to-surface missions.
The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center lifted the lid on the so-called “Air Force Long Range Weapon” or AFLRW, with a June 24 notice announcing a classified industry event for Aug. 25-26 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.
“The AFLRW is aimed at addressing the next generation of Air-Launched Standoff Weapon variants in line with Department of War priorities,” the notice states, adding that the program’s initial focus will be on an air-to-air variant.
The notice also states that the Air Force is open to hearing from traditional and nontraditional defense vendors who can either build the entire all-up missile themselves or serve as the “master integrator” for various subsystems, though the service is prioritizing companies that can provide a complete missile.
The service also said the missiles should be able to strike targets “in Defense Planning Scenario 2.1 and 7.1 environments” in a responsive manner. The planning scenarios are basically real-world challenges that a force or weapon must be designed against, according to a 2019 RAND study. The specific scenarios referenced in the notice are not detailed.
The notice also does not specify the types of aircraft expected to carry the AFLRW, but the dual variants of both air-to-air and air-to-surface suggest a wide range of applications.
The Air Force’s main air-to-air missile, the AIM-120D AMRAAM, can reach distances of more than 100 miles. The still in-development Joint Advanced Tactical Missile is rumored to have a range of 120-plus miles.
The AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile, meanwhile, is the military’s main air-to-ground missile and has a range of 200-plus miles in its standard configuration. An upgraded version, called JASSM-ER for extended range, can hit targets 500 miles away. Contractor Lockheed Martin has said it is pursuing a JASSM-XR, for extreme range, rumored to have a 1,000-mile range.
An AFLCMC spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment on June 25.
Exquisite Range, Exquisite Missile?
Unlike many recent Air Force munitions efforts, this notice does not stress affordability. The service has made a major push for its Family of Affordable Mass Missiles program, which is a lower-cost cruise missile effort that has multiple variants. One is called FAMM Beyond Adversary’s Reach, meant to be an air-to-surface missile with a 1,000-nautical mile range.
Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink testified in a Senate hearing on June 9 that about 60 percent of the 28,000 munitions that the service is seeking to buy over the next five years are under the FAMM program.
Undersecretary of Defense Emil Michael noted June 12 during an interview with the Hudson Institute that the DOD had signed multiple deals to produce low-cost cruise missiles that come in at about $500,000 per missile as compared to the standard “exquisite” cruise missile, which runs about $2 million.
But the service isn’t walking away from higher-end, exquisite munitions completely. Its 2027 budget request nearly triples procurement funding for the JATM, more than triples the number of AMRAAMs planned for purchase, and increases the number of Long-Range Anti-Ship Missiles by more than 30 percent. And this new push for a 1,000-mile air-to-air weapon points to an appetite for new weapons in that class too.