ERAM Missile for Ukraine Tested with Live Warhead

The U.S. Air Force has tested the low-cost ERAM cruise missile being developed for Ukraine, according to an official statement from the service.

The tests were conducted on January 21, 2026, at the Eglin Air Force Base test range in Florida. During the trial, the project team met all key objectives, including successful full detonation of the warhead.

A defining aspect of the ERAM program is its rapid development timeline. Less than 16 months elapsed between contract signing and flight testing. Speed was a core requirement in the missile’s design, alongside affordability, scalability, and low unit cost.

The successful test marked another milestone in preparing the ERAM missile for serial production.

According to a report from the U.S. Air Force Armament Directorate Program Office working group, production of ERAM missiles for Ukraine started in the spring of 2025.

Delivery of the first batch, totaling 840 missiles, is scheduled for October 2026. A notification from the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency to Congress confirmed that these missiles can be used from U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets and Soviet-designed MiG-29 aircraft.

Under the ERAM program, the missiles are being produced by two companies: CoAspire of Virginia and Zone 5 Technologies of California.

The CoAspire missile version, designated Rapidly Adaptable Affordable Cruise Missile (RAACM), weighs 500 pounds (approximately 250 kg) and is equipped with a combined penetrator and high-explosive fragmentation warhead.

The missile is fitted with a multi-mode fuze, is designed for carriage on aircraft platforms, and is capable of reaching subsonic speeds of up to 200 m/s.

Meanwhile, the technical specifications of the Zone 5 Technologies version, Rusty Dagger, have not yet been disclosed. However, given the similarity of the technical requirements, its performance characteristics are expected to be similar to those of the CoAspire missile.

In late August, U.S. officials officially approved the sale of up to 3,550 ERAM missiles to Ukraine.