A B 2 Spirit stealth bomber fired an AGM 158C Long Range Anti Ship Missile (LRASM) during the recent Valiant Shield exercise, sinking a target vessel in the Western Pacific and giving the United States military a crucial maritime strike option. The long range B 2 can deliver nuclear or conventional weapons and stands as one of the cornerstones of U.S. strategic deterrence.
The U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy frequently conduct sinking exercises (SINKEX) against decommissioned ships. The June 2026 SINKEX, north of the Mariana Islands, confirmed the B 2’s LRASM integration for the first time, according to Air & Space Forces Magazine. The LRASM, which has a range of more than 200 nautical miles, expands the strategic bomber’s maritime reach in a potential Indo Pacific conflict. “Range increases potency while mitigating risk,” James Holmes, a professor at the Naval War College, wrote of the weapon’s significance in the online defense publication 19FortyFive. During the exercise, the bomber hit the former USS Juneau amphibious transport dock warship.
The LRASM integration reflects broader U.S. efforts to strengthen Indo Pacific capabilities. “The B 2’s impressive performance underscores the U.S. military’s commitment to adaptability and flexibility in the face of emerging security challenges,” U.S. Air Force Gen. Kevin Schneider, commander of U.S. Pacific Air Forces, said in a news release. “By prioritizing counter maritime strike operations, we can maintain a decisive edge over adversaries, protect our national interests and ensure the free and open Pacific that underpin our global security.”
Alongside the SINKEX, Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand and U.S. forces conducted Valiant Shield drills in the Philippine Sea that included anti submarine warfare and the multinational debut of the Australian built Boeing MQ 28 Ghost Bat. The Ghost Bat became the first uncrewed collaborative combat aircraft to fly alongside U.S. and allied fighters, including the F 15EX, F 35A and F 35B. “Over 10 days of intensive, high end operations, Valiant Shield demonstrated that our alliance is not just a partnership on paper, but a formidable, unified force,” U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Jay Clark, the exercise control group director, said in a U.S. Navy news release.
The B 2’s LRASM and Ghost Bat milestones demonstrate that the U.S. and its Allies now field a more formidable strike capacity. The weapon derives from the AGM 158A Joint Air to Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM), which the B 2 already carries, according to news website The War Zone (TWZ). The bomber can load up to 16 JASSMs and likely the same number of LRASMs, according to TWZ. It can also deliver additional conventional weapons, including up to 80 independently targetable 227 kilogram Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs), and remains the only U.S. warplane that can deliver the almost 15,000 kilogram GBU 57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator bunker-buster bomb, according to TWZ.
The LRASM joins the Quicksink in the B 2’s anti ship arsenal. In 2025, the bomber and Royal Norwegian Air Force assets destroyed a target in the Norwegian Sea using a precision guided Quicksink munition. The Air Force Research Laboratory developed Quicksink as a low cost anti ship weapon that modifies JDAM guidance kits to convert unguided bombs into precision guided munitions, according to TWZ. The B 2 first employed a Quicksink during the 2024 Rim of the Pacific exercise and tested another variant in 2025 off the Florida coast, according to military news website The Aviationist.
These demonstrations align with calls from military leaders for the U.S. defense industry to ramp up weapons production. U.S. Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, urged manufacturers at the Pennsylvania Defense and Innovation Summit in July 2026 to “go faster, think bolder,” according to the New York Post. The U.S. Air Force said it plans to produce up to 11,200 JASSMs and LRASMs over the next five to seven years, according to Air & Space Forces Magazine. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s armament directorate announced the figure in a July 2026 notice of contract action, according to Air & Space Forces Magazine.
These stockpiles will be crucial if conflict arises in the Indo Pacific. “A stealthy B 2 fleet carrying LRASMs could penetrate within the PLA [People’s Liberation Army] anti access envelope to strike at Chinese shipping,” wrote Holmes, the Naval War College professor. “For instance, if a contingency erupted in the Taiwan Strait and Air Force bombers could disable or sink a significant fraction of the Chinese invasion fleet, then they would have at least temporarily denied China access to … Taiwan.”