B-2 tests LRASM as anti-ship missile demand rises
B-2 Spirit, built by Northrop Grumman, launched a Lockheed Martin AGM-158C Long Range Anti-Ship Missile in a Pacific live-fire sinking drill. It's the first time the stealth bomber has been put on the public LRASM platform list. The move may let investors gauge missile demand better than a one-off test. Pacific Air Forces said the B-2 dropped the LRASM north of the Mariana Islands. Air Force images show the missile being loaded at Whiteman Air Force Base on June 22 and fired over the Philippine Sea on June 27. U.S. Pacific Command said it targeted the decommissioned Austin-class amphibious transport dock USS Juneau, positioning it more than 200 nautical miles from the Mariana Islands Range Complex. The sinking exercise involved U.S. aircraft, a Japanese submarine, and other allied forces. “This SINKEX provided an outstanding opportunity for our joint team to integrate capabilities across domains, honing the lethal precision and coordination essential for high-end maritime operations in the Pacific theater,” Rear Adm. Eric Anduze, commander of Carrier Strike Group 5 and Task Force 70, said.