The USN declared the missile system operationally effective against LMTs on July 2, following a successful operational evaluation.
This modification reportedly makes SLAM ER an effective weapon for destroying or disabling high-value land-based moving targets, such as missile launchers and mobile radar.
The software enables F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet aircraft to continuously receive updated target coordinates from appropriate C2 platforms, on-ship radar, or other third-party targeting sources, and then transfer these updates to the SLAM ER in flight.
In March 2005, Lockheed Martin's AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Stand-off Missile (JASSM) cruise missile won the Australian competition against Boeing's SLAM ER and the Taurus KEPD 350 for the AIR 5418 Follow-on Standoff Weapon (FOSOW) requirement.