Image source: topwar.ru
The US military has published the first photos of the F-35C multifunctional fighter equipped with AGM-158C (LRASM) long-range anti-ship missiles.
According to the Pentagon, the picture was taken during a test flight carried out from an airbase Patuxent River (Maryland) on September 10 of this year. American specialized publications suggest that the ability to successfully use such weapons is important in the context of a potential armed conflict between the United States and China in the Pacific Ocean.
Image source: topwar.ru
This missile was planned as a replacement for the outdated Harpoon. It was supposed to create a rocket that would almost catch up with the Soviet PKR P-700 Granit in terms of characteristics. Since the US army currently has a single Harpoon missile defense system in service, which cannot be launched from universal Mk41 PU, two versions of the AGM-158 missile are currently being finalized in the United States.
Meanwhile, the first tests of the "newest" development took place back in 1984. The aviation version of the missile has two modifications, one of which is capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 300 kilometers, and the second — about a thousand kilometers. At the same time, the rocket is positioned as inconspicuous.
LRASMs adjust their flight using GPS and by means of a terrain navigation system, which, in the case of distortion of the satellite signal by electronic warfare systems, can significantly reduce the accuracy of these missiles at sea, where there is no constant terrain.
