The US Air Force has revived its interest in an affordable air-launched Standoff Attack Weapon (SoAW) after roughly four years, with fielding targeted for 2033.
An industry day has been scheduled for June 17 to gather market feedback on the proposed cruise missile, where its expected features and requirements will be discussed.
While specific details remain undisclosed, the SoAW program is intended to provide a more affordable option alongside existing systems such as the Lockheed Martin Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) and its variant, the Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM).
A request for information for the weapon was initially issued in 2022, but the service did not pursue the capability.
According to Air & Space Forces Magazine, renewed interest in munitions and a surge in funding appear to have revived the concept.
The fiscal 2027 defense budget request has allocated $11.36 billion for missile procurement — nearly triple the $3.7 billion included in the fiscal 2026 budget. Spending is projected to continue rising to $16 billion by 2029.
Affordable Option
Standoff weapons are launched beyond an adversary’s defenses to strike distant targets. Unlike lower-cost stand-in weapons, they are typically employed by non-stealth aircraft that are less able to operate safely in heavily contested airspace.
The latest variant of the AGM-158 JASSM, the AGM-158D, offers a range of around 600 miles (965 kilometers) at an estimated unit cost of $1.5 million. An “extreme range” version is also under development, reportedly extending reach to 1,000 miles (1,609 kilometers) at $2.6 million.
The AGM-158C LRASM has a range of up to 350 miles (560 kilometers) and is priced even higher, at roughly $3 million per missile.
These standoff weapons are “unaffordable and unsustainable” in a Pacific conflict involving thousands of targets, Air & Space Forces Magazine earlier noted, citing multiple studies.
Recent operations against Iran saw the US exhaust its available stock of Precision Strike Missiles early in the campaign, Aviation Week reported, underscoring the growing need for affordable, mass-produced standoff munitions.
