Australia has declared initial operational capability for two long-range strike missiles carried by its F/A-18F Super Hornets, the Australian Department of Defense said in a release published on September 11, 2026.
The declaration covers the AGM-158B Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile Extended Range (JASSM-ER) and AGM-158C Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM), giving the Royal Australian Air Force new long-range options for striking targets on land and at sea.
Defense gives the JASSM-ER a land-attack range of up to 900 kilometers (approximately 560 miles) from the launch aircraft, while the LRASM can engage maritime targets at ranges in excess of 370 kilometers (approximately 230 miles).
Testing clears JASSM-ER and LRASM for operations
Defense said operational testing validated weapons preparation and loading, targeting and weapon engagement from the F/A-18F.
Two LRASM were fired at the Point Mugu Sea Range in California in February 2025, followed by two JASSM-ER at the Woomera Test Range in South Australia in November.
Chief of Air Force Air Marshal Stephen Chappell said the service had demonstrated that it was ready to conduct “long-range, survivable and lethal maritime and land strike.”
“By acquiring a suite of long-range maritime and land strike missiles, the [RAAF] will increase the lethality of our air combat aircraft and avoid increasingly sophisticated air defenses,” Chappell said.
Australia contracted for the weapons through US Foreign Military Sales. The US Air Force awarded Lockheed Martin up to $751 million in May 2023 to produce AGM-158B-2 missiles for Australia.
The Royal Australian Air Force operates 24 F/A-18F Super Hornets with No. 1 Squadron at RAAF Base Amberley in Queensland, according to the service’s aircraft listing.
LRASM is also moving toward wider RAAF use
Defense also said a P-8A Poseidon fired an LRASM and hit its target during Exercise Rim of the Pacific 2026, which ran from June 24 to July 31, 2026.
A separate Australian Defense release published on August 6, 2026, described the event as dual LRASM launches by the US Navy and Royal Australian Air Force from maritime patrol aircraft, and as the first time the RAAF P-8A community employed the weapon.
Australia completed its 14-aircraft P-8A fleet in May 2026 and conducted its first joint F-35A weapons integration flight test with the United States in late April 2026.