1 photo

Missile

United States

Boeing

AGM-86 ALCM

US subsonic air-launched cruise missile carried by B-52 bombers for long-range nuclear and conventional standoff strikes.

In service since 1982 · 1 operator countries

Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-05

2,400

km range

0.73

Mach

1,360

kg warhead

💲 ≈ $1,000,000, About USD 1 million per AGM-86B. Production totalled 1,715 AGM-86B, 239 AGM-86C and 50 AGM-86D.

Procurement snapshot

Availability & export

US ITAR-controlled

Export needs U.S. State Dept (DDTC) approval; end-use & re-transfer restrictions apply.

Channel: Foreign Military Sales (FMS) or Direct Commercial Sale

Fielded & proven

Limited · 1 operator

In service since 1982. Status: active · ~2,004 built.

Lifecycle cost (est.)

Unit cost known; one-shot / small-arms class has no meaningful O&S tail to model.

Interoperability

No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.

Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.

Full specifications

Performance

Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.

Performance specifications
Max speed Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.	890 km/h
Max speed (Mach) Maximum speed as a multiple of the speed of sound. Mach 2+ is typical for air-superiority fighters.	0.73 Mach Stronger than 12% of missiles
Range Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.	2,400 km Top 5% of missiles

Firepower

Armament, payload and guidance.

Firepower specifications
Warhead Warhead mass. Heavier generally means larger effect radius, at the cost of range.	1,360 kg Top 3% of missiles
Warhead type Blast-fragmentation, shaped charge (HEAT), penetrator, thermobaric or nuclear-capable.	Blast-fragmentation (conventional variant)
Guidance How the weapon finds its target: inertial, GPS/GLONASS, active/semi-active radar, infrared, laser, TV, wire.	Inertial navigation, TERCOM (Terrain Contour Matching), GPS (later variants)

Physical

Dimensions, weight and crew.

Physical specifications
Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.	6.3 m
Wingspan Wingtip-to-wingtip span.	3.66 m
Width Overall width, matters for rail/road transport of vehicles.	0.62 m
Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.	1,458 kg

Propulsion

Engine, power and fuel.

Propulsion specifications
Engine Powerplant model and type.	Williams International F107-WR-101 turbofan
Thrust Total engine thrust (with afterburner where applicable).	3 kN
Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…	Turbofan

Program

Cost, production scale and operators.

Program specifications
Unit cost Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper.	$1,000,000 Stronger than 44% of missiles
Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.	2,004 Stronger than 44% of missiles
Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.	1 Stronger than 14% of missiles

Specifications compiled from public Boeing and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-05.

Compare with rivals

See how it stacks up

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AGM-86 ALCM AIM-7 Sparrow

Raytheon (RTX) AIM-7 Sparrow

View AIM-7 Sparrow ↗

Missile

AGM-86 ALCM AGM-88E AARGM

Northrop Grumman AGM-88E AARGM

View AGM-88E AARGM ↗

Missile

AGM-86 ALCM AIM-54 Phoenix

Raytheon (RTX) AIM-54 Phoenix

View AIM-54 Phoenix ↗

Head-to-head comparisons

AGM-86 ALCM vs

Frequently asked questions

What is the top speed of the Boeing AGM-86 ALCM? +

The Boeing AGM-86 ALCM has a maximum speed of 890 km/h.

What is the range of the Boeing AGM-86 ALCM? +

The Boeing AGM-86 ALCM has a maximum range of 2,400 km.

How much does the Boeing AGM-86 ALCM weigh? +

The Boeing AGM-86 ALCM has a combat weight of 1,458 kg.

What engine does the Boeing AGM-86 ALCM use? +

The Boeing AGM-86 ALCM is powered by the Williams International F107-WR-101 turbofan.

How many countries operate the Boeing AGM-86 ALCM? +

The Boeing AGM-86 ALCM is operated by 1 countries.

How much does the Boeing AGM-86 ALCM cost? +

The Boeing AGM-86 ALCM has an approximate unit cost of 1,000,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration, treat this as directional.