Launcher weight limits and the thin combat record of VLS

Could a Mark 26 launcher handle longer-range Standard Missiles, and what do we know about VLS failure rates?

A longer missile is theoretically possible if the trainable arm is strengthened for the added weight, while combat evidence for VLS reliability remains limited because Gulf War launches occurred under relatively controlled conditions.

The Mark 26 question is governed by the arm's ability to move and control a heavier round, not merely by magazine length. The VLS discussion then distinguishes successful firing from survival under attack: preplanned Gulf War launches provided evidence of function but little evidence about damaged or heavily stressed launchers. Reliability claims need the operating context as well as the launch count.