For the first time, the US Navy’s maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare aircraft P-8A Poseidon has been spotted in flight with the long-range AGM-158C LRASM missile.
On August 28, 2025, aerial photographer Aaron Maurer captured a P-8A Poseidon flying over California’s Mojave Desert, carrying an LRASM (Long Range Anti-Ship Missile) under its left wing. This is the first public image of a Poseidon equipped with this weapon during flight.
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A KC-46 Pegasus and P-8 Poseidon flying over Mojave. Interested combo. #kc46 #p8 pic.twitter.com/aG0VzKvhDo
— maurer8photography (@maurer8photo) August 28, 2025
Subsequently, the US Navy confirmed to Newsweek that the photo did indeed show an AGM-158C LRASM and stated that the weapon’s integration process with the aircraft is still underway.
Integration history
The beginning of LRASM integration work on the P-8A Poseidon was revealed in April 2023, although flight tests had already started in 2022, according to the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR).
According to the initial schedule, integration was expected to be completed in fiscal year 2024. However, manufacturer Lockheed Martin anticipated that the work would extend into 2025 — a forecast now confirmed by the latest images.
Armament capacity
Once integration is completed, the P-8A Poseidon will be able to carry up to four AGM-158C LRASM missiles mounted externally under its wings. Due to the size of the weapon, it cannot be accommodated inside the aircraft’s internal weapons bay.
This addition significantly increases the Poseidon’s range and lethality in naval warfare missions, consolidating it not only as a surveillance and anti-submarine patrol platform, but also as a long-range strike aircraft against surface targets.
Sources and images: X @maurer8photo | Militarnyi | flickr | US Navy. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
