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Ukraine to Receive 840 US ERAM Cruise Missiles for MiG-29 and F-16 Combat Use by 2026
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![Photo of Ivan Khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
Ukraine will receive its first major batch of Extended-Range Attack Missiles (ERAM) in October 2026, with 840 units scheduled for delivery, according to Aviation Week citing documents from the US Air Force. A smaller test batch of 10 missiles is expected to arrive as early as October this year.
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency confirmed to the US Congress that ERAM can be deployed from both American-made F-16 fighters and Ukraine’s Soviet-era MiG-29s. The approval follows a broader decision by Washington in August allowing Ukraine to purchase up to 3,550 ERAM missiles.
According to Aviation Week, the ERAM program was fast-tracked under a $225 million budget and completed its initial cycle in just over a year.
The Air Force Armament Directorate contracted two companies—Virginia-based CoAspire and California-based Zone 5 Technologies—to design and produce the system. Prototypes were tested on a US range and on a MiG-series fighter before moving into production.
The CoAspire variant, known as the Rapidly Adaptable Affordable Cruise Missile (RAACM), weighs around 250 kilograms and carries a combined penetrator and fragmentation warhead with multiple fuze options. It is designed for subsonic speeds of about 200 meters per second.
The Zone 5 Technologies version, named Rusty Dagger, remains classified in terms of performance but is expected to match the CoAspire design in capability.
The House Armed Services Committee highlighted in a recent report, quoted by Aviation Week, that the ERAM project relied on “non-traditional suppliers with expertise in digital engineering, modular design, and rapid scaling of production.” This approach enabled development within just 14 months of the initial tender in August 2024.
Alongside ERAM, the US Air Force is pursuing additional weapons concepts, including palletized systems that can be launched from cargo aircraft such as the Lockheed C-130 and Boeing C-17.
Earlier, President Donald Trump approved the sale of 3,350 US-made ERAM strike missiles to Ukraine in a deal worth $850 million. The package, largely financed by European partners, included conditions requiring Pentagon approval for certain uses of the new weapon.
-72b63a4e0c8c475ad81fe3eed3f63729.jpeg "Photo of Cyril Barabaltchouk")
