The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) has cleared Ukraine to purchase a new long-range weapon dubbed the Extended Range Attack Munition (ERAM). ERAM is not a single missile but an umbrella program covering two distinct air-launched systems for tactical aircraft.
The package envisions up to 3,350 cruise missiles plus associated equipment and services worth as much as $825 million. According to Defense Express, funding would come not only from Kyiv but also from Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, and the United States via Foreign Military Financing. The final price tag could be lower depending on quantity and configuration.
Analysts say the ERAM project comprises two weapons: the RAACM missile from CoAspire and the Rusty Dagger from Zone 5 Technologies.
Both are in the 500‑pound (227 kg) class, with an estimated range around 400 km, speeds near Mach 0.6, and high accuracy. The program’s average per‑round cost is approximately $246,200.
Developed by CoAspire, RAACM debuted at the Sea Air Space 2025 exercises. Specialists believe it is the likeliest of the two to reach Ukraine first.
Sized to match the MK‑82 or GBU‑38 227 kg guided bomb form factor, the weapon can be carried by aircraft already cleared for that class of munition. Confirmed platforms include the F‑15E Strike Eagle, F/A‑18 Hornet, F‑16 Fighting Falcon and F‑35 Lightning II.
Engineered for affordability and export, RAACM incorporates extensive 3D‑printing. The missile combines a winged airframe, a turbojet engine, a warhead, and a guidance suite for precision strike. Its modular architecture is designed to scale into larger variants suitable for air, sea, or ground launch in the future.
Zone 5 Technologies’ Rusty Dagger remains more tightly held. The company is competing in the U.S. Air Force’s Enterprise Test Vehicle (ETV) program, where the missile has been showcased as a promising option. Developers say it could reach up to 900 km, though that figure is likely without a warhead installed.
The weapon combines satellite navigation with TERCOM/DSMAC or visual navigation. Stealth‑minded features include radar‑transparent materials, optimized shaping, and a shrouded engine nozzle.
Mykhailo Samus, deputy director of Ukraine’s Center for Army, Conversion and Disarmament Studies, has said ERAM is effectively an enhanced guided air bomb, with a range of up to 450 km that would allow strikes far beyond the front line.
