US Air Force Wants Ukraine’s Next F-16 Weapon to Fly 460 Km and Beat GPS Jamming

The US Air Force is looking for contractors to manufacture a new batch of Extended Range Attack Munitions, or ERAMs, for Ukraine, seeking more than 1,000 air-launched cruise missiles capable of striking targets over 460 kilometers away even under heavy electronic warfare, Air Force Times reported on November 3.

ERAM is designed as a relatively compact, affordable air-launched cruise missile that can be produced in large numbers and used for precision strikes against high-value fixed targets from stand-off distances.

The Air Force has now laid out technical requirements for prospective manufacturers.

The missile must fall into the 500-pound class, or roughly 227 kilograms, and fly more than 250 nautical miles—over 460 kilometers. Its speed must exceed Mach 0.6.

Accuracy is another key requirement. The missile must hit within 10 meters of its target even when GPS signals are being jammed or otherwise degraded.

ERAM is also expected to combine blast-fragmentation effects with some ability to penetrate obstacles or hardened structures before detonation.

Manufacturers have until November 19 to submit proposals.

The delivery schedule is unusually aggressive. The first missiles are expected no later than three months after a contract is signed, while the entire order of more than 1,000 weapons is supposed to be delivered within 15 months.

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Category

War in Ukraine

Europe Is Building a 2,000 km Strike Missile With Ukraine as Its Test Ground

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In August 2025, the Trump administration announced the sale of 3,350 ERAM missiles to Kyiv in a package valued at $825 million. The weapon can be carried by F-16 fighters, giving Ukraine another option for precision strikes well beyond the immediate front line.

Previously, the US Air Force has successfully tested a low-cost cruise missile designed with Ukraine in mind, marking a key step toward deploying scalable precision strike capabilities.

The missile, known as Rusty Dagger, was dropped from an F-16 during a series of integration trials that focused on compatibility, loading procedures, and safe separation from the aircraft.

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