The anti-ship capabilities of the US LRASM cruise missile.

The LRASM missile, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, can receive data from multiple sources and change its flight path to approach and destroy targets from a distance of 370 km.

The LRASM missile locks onto its target, a Slava-class cruiser. Photo: Lockheed Martin

According to Livejournal, weapons manufacturer Lockheed Martin has just released a promotional video showcasing the special features of the AGM-158C LRASM, a stealth anti-ship cruise missile being developed for the US Navy and expected to be deployed in 2019.

LRASM stands for Long Range Anti-Ship Missile. This project was developed to create a weapon to fill the void left by the AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missile. Anti-ship weapons had been neglected by the US since the end of the Cold War, but the rise of the Chinese navy meant the Pentagon could not sit idly by.

In the video, the US military forces are referred to as "Blue Team," while the opposing group of warships is called "Red Team." When the spy satellite detects the location of the "Red Team" at sea, it immediately sends its coordinates to the US warships and aircraft.

These warships and aircraft process information and fire the LRASM missile. The missile is equipped with a multi-functional radio seeker and an advanced datalink. After launch, it receives target data from the warship or aircraft, and then continues to receive updated target information via satellite connection.

The US Department of Defense states that LRAMS has a range of over 370 km, while experts estimate that this figure could reach 560 km.

When approaching an area near the target where satellite communication signals are jammed or disrupted, the missile will fly along a pre-determined trajectory. Sensor systems on the missile will identify areas threatened by enemy air defenses, and then automatically adjust its flight path to bypass these areas.

Upon approaching its target, the missile rapidly descends to near sea level to avoid detection by the radar systems on enemy warships. The missile's sensor systems continuously scan for anti-aircraft weapon positions on the target to increase its survivability.

The 450 kg penetrating-fragmentation warhead of the LRASM is powerful enough to destroy many different types of warships. In the video above, just two missiles are needed to destroy a heavy cruiser similar to the Slava-class, or one missile to destroy a destroyer like the Russian Sovremenny-class.

However, in reality, it would take many LRASM missiles to destroy a Russian naval task force like this. The missiles would have to overcome the electronic warfare, long-range, medium-range, and short-range air defense systems on the warships, instead of just a few AK-630M close-range guns as shown in the video.

Furthermore, the LRASM will have to overcome the final barrier: the warships' decoy systems. This could significantly reduce its combat effectiveness, Livejournal concludes.

According to VNE