Air Weapons: Rusty Dagger Cruise Missile

August 20, 2026: A year ago, the United States approved $825 million for the manufacture and sale of 3,350 ERAM missiles to Ukraine. That was followed by a remarkable development: the U.S. Air Force designed, developed, and put into production a new cruise missile. The AGM-188 Rusty Dagger is a 227-kg cruise missile measuring 2.64 meters long. A 45.4 kg high explosive warhead is sufficient to cause significant damage to targets. Its range is about 1,000 kilometers, and its top speed is about 700 kilometers per hour. Carrying a heavier 230 kg warhead, its range is 450 kilometers. A key aspect of this missile is that it costs about $250,000 ea…