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2w ago

B-2 Stealth Bomber Fires LRASM in Pacific SINKEX

Pacific Air Forces says the June 27 exercise shows the B-2 can launch the AGM-158C LRASM, a move that expands long-range, low‑observable maritime strike options for Indo-Pacific deterrence.

A U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber, assigned to the 509th Bomb Wing, deploys an AGM-158C Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) to support a live-fire sinking exercise as part of Valiant Shield 2026 over the Philippine Sea, June 27, 2026. For Exercise Valiant Shield 2026, the B-2 flew into the Mariana Island Range Complex to successfully employ the AGM-158C LRASM and demonstrated flexibility across the globe and hold maritime vessels at risk. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech Sgt. Thomas Barley)
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A U.S Air Force B-2 Spirit aircraft is shown on the flight line at Pease Air National Guard Base, New Hampshire, Sept. 20, 2025. The aircraft is the first operated by the 509th Bomb Wing to land at Pease ANGB, formerly Pease Air Force Base, since the 509 BW, formerly 509th Bombardment Wing, was stationed at Pease AFB and the active-duty base closed nearly 35 years ago. The lineage of the 509th BW traces back to the World War II Era when the 509th Composite Group dropped the atomic bombs on Japan. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Joshua Hastings)

Overview

  • Pacific Air Forces confirmed that a B-2 Spirit fired an AGM-158C Long Range Anti-Ship Missile during a sinking exercise north of the Mariana Islands on June 27, striking the decommissioned USS Juneau.
  • Official imagery shows a live LRASM being loaded onto a B-2 at Whiteman Air Force Base on June 22 and the bomber departing Andersen AFB for the SINKEX, documenting the weapon’s carriage and sortie.
  • The LRASM uses GPS-assisted INS navigation plus passive radio‑frequency and imaging infrared seekers, onboard threat libraries, and secure datalinks to autonomously locate and discriminate maritime targets in contested electronic environments.
  • Senior PACAF leaders framed the firing as a step to strengthen long-range, stealthy counter‑maritime strike and deterrence in the Indo-Pacific, but publicly available FY2027 budget documents do not yet list a formal B-2/LRASM integration program line.
  • LRASM already flies on other U.S. platforms and has multiple variants; pairing it with the B-2 builds on prior maritime experiments such as QUICKSINK and could shift operational planning by giving commanders a stealthy, long‑range option against A2/AD threats even as missile production and formal acquisition steps continue to evolve.