New Delhi. September 25, 2012 was a very special day in China’s military history, because on this day China commissioned its first aircraft carrier “Lianning” into the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). Not only was it a symbol of China’s growing naval power, but it also gave the Chinese navy the power to operate on a global scale. This move transformed China from a “brown water navy” to a “blue water navy,” meaning that the Chinese navy was now able to conduct missions outside its territorial waters. Now the Chinese navy was moving closer to control of the Western Pacific, the South China Sea and, above all, the Taiwan Strait.

This created a competitive situation with the US Navy, which had been the dominant power in the Pacific since 1945. However, the US Navy was completely unprepared for this challenge. Compared to 1991, 2012 saw a huge decline in the number of US Navy warships, falling to 287 from 529 previously. In addition, most missile systems on U.S. warships were also obsolete, including the important AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missile developed in the 1970s.

Currently, the navies of the United States and other countries are developing new and more powerful anti-ship missiles to increase their naval power. Given China’s growing naval capacity, these missiles have become important to America and its allies in the Pacific. These new missiles are equipped with modern technology and can destroy any enemy force at sea.

To this end, the LRASM is based on the legacy of previous missiles. In 2003, the US Air Force introduced the AGM-158A Joint Air to Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM). It was designed to launch with strategic bombers such as the B-1B Lancer, B-2A Spirit and B-52H Stratofortress. JASSM also developed a new generation of ground-attack cruise missiles.

This short-wing, subsonic missile is designed not only to stay clear of enemy radar, but also to fly at nearly tree height under enemy radar coverage. JASSM approaches the target using GPS and a backup inertial guidance system, then confirms the target with a nose-mounted imaging infrared seeker. The missile’s warhead, a half-ton penetrator and fragmentation warhead, can also reach ground targets.

After the success of JASSM, the Pentagon decided that it could serve as a basis for a new anti-ship missile. But targeting ships at sea presented new problems: For one thing, ships at sea are rarely stationary, and a ship traveling at 35 knots can travel up to 40 miles per hour. Warships, particularly aircraft carriers and amphibious transports, are often better protected than ground targets because they are surrounded by a protective ring of cruisers, destroyers and frigates equipped with radar and anti-aircraft missiles.

The effort to develop the next-generation anti-ship missile was a partnership between DARPA (the Pentagon’s research and development arm), the Navy and the Air Force. The need was clear: “Continuous reinforcement of anti-ship forces to deter Chinese aggression in the maritime domain.” Tom Karako, senior fellow in the International Security Program and director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, reports in Popular Mechanics: “LRASM has “several modern improvements including stealth capabilities, longer range, and multiple launch platforms and modes.”

Development ran from 2009 to 2013, culminating in a test firing in 2013 in which the new missile was fired from B-1B Lancer bombers and attacked a maritime target. After two successful flight tests, the new missile, now known as the Long Range Anti-Ship Missile or AGM-158C, was officially accepted into a naval program. With a range of about 350 miles, it can reach four times the range of the older Harpoon missile. The missile can fly on B-1B Lancer bombers and F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighter jets, while F-35 Lightning fighters and P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft are currently undergoing flight tests.

Once launched, LRASM maintains a wireless data link with the ship or aircraft that launched it, allowing for short-term targeting updates. Unlike JASSM, which flies close to the ground, LRASM flies towards the enemy at high altitude, where its integrated radio frequency sensors can detect, analyze and identify the radar signatures of enemy ships. LRASM can detect enemy radars in its path and then bypass them to avoid being shot down.

As it approaches the target, the LRASM descends close to the ocean surface, typically at an altitude of 30 feet or less. The infrared imaging seeker detects enemy warships, such as aircraft carriers, and directs the missile, which carries a 1,000-pound warhead, to hit the target. LRASM can also reportedly target specific features of the ship. This feature is particularly useful against the three Chinese aircraft carriers Liaoning, Shandong and Fujian, whose aircraft elevators are located on the starboard (right) side.

Tags: China, United States