Overview
- Pacific Air Forces confirmed a B-2 Spirit released an AGM-158C Long Range Anti-Ship Missile during a sinking exercise north of the Mariana Islands, with the missile striking the decommissioned ship ex‑USS Juneau as part of Exercise Valiant Shield.
- PACAF framed the event as a milestone that extends U.S. counter-maritime reach by putting an autonomous, long-range anti-ship weapon on a stealth heavy bomber.
- The LRASM uses GPS-assisted INS navigation, onboard sensors and a threat library to search for and classify targets, can change course in response to enemy radio-frequency emissions, and can receive in-flight updates via datalink.
- The launch highlights a gap in public reporting because the B-2 LRASM firing had not been previously disclosed and the Pentagon’s cited 2027 budget documents do not list LRASM integration for the B-2.
- LRASM is already cleared for some aircraft and undergoing wider integration on others, and this demo could boost deterrence in the Indo-Pacific while prompting questions about how new strike capabilities are documented and overseen.