Australia Declares Initial Operational Capability for LRASM and JASSM-ER Stand-Off Missiles

Australia declared Initial Operational Capability (IOC) on 11 September 2026 for two stand-off missiles, the AGM-158C LRASM and the AGM-158B JASSM-ER. The declaration was reported on 13 September.

The two weapons give the Royal Australian Air Force a long-range strike capability against both maritime and land targets. The AGM-158C LRASM is an anti-ship missile with a range of more than 370 km. The AGM-158B JASSM-ER is a land-attack cruise missile with a range of 900 km, an extended-range member of the AGM-158 JASSM family.

Both missiles have been cleared on two platforms: the F/A-18F Super Hornets of No. 82 Wing and the P-8A Poseidons of No. 92 Wing. The Super Hornet force numbers 24 aircraft, with No. 1 Squadron based at RAAF Base Amberley in Queensland.

Initial Operational Capability marks the point at which a weapon is cleared for operational use by front-line units rather than remaining confined to test and evaluation. In this case the declaration covers both the maritime strike round and the land-attack round on the same two aircraft types, following firings conducted in both the United States and Australia.

Australia allocated $895.5 million for the LRASM acquisition, according to The Aviationist. The purchase sits within a wider effort: Australia has earmarked a reported $28–35 billion over the next decade for long-range strike capabilities.

The IOC declaration follows a test campaign spread over three ranges. In February 2025, two LRASM were fired at the Point Mugu Sea Range in California. In November 2025, two JASSM-ER were fired at the Woomera Test Range in South Australia. During Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2026, held in June and July, a P-8A fired an LRASM, the first operational employment of the missile by an RAAF maritime patrol aircraft.

The Chief of Air Force, an Air Marshal, said the capability demonstrates the ability "to conduct long-range, survivable and lethal maritime and land strike" against well-defended targets.

The two missiles are one part of a broader RAAF strike architecture. The E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and control aircraft and the EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft are the supporting platforms named alongside the Super Hornet and Poseidon fleets.

GlobalMilitary.net's 2026 inventory data for the RAAF records 24 F/A-18F Super Hornets, 13 P-8A Poseidons, 12 EA-18G Growlers and 72 F-35A Lightning II fighters. These fleet figures are among the inputs to the site's ranking of national military power.

With IOC declared, LRASM and JASSM-ER now enter service on the Super Hornet and Poseidon fleets. Further firings, deliveries and capability milestones for the two missiles will be recorded on their respective pages as they are reported.