Latest news with #ConventionalPromptStrike
Business Insider
2 days ago
- Business
- Business Insider
Lockheed Martin awarded $1.0B U.S. Navy contract modification
Lockheed Martin (LMT) Space is being awarded a cost-plus-incentive-fee and cost-plus-fixed-fee unpriced letter contract modification with a not-to-exceed amount of $1,002,700,000 under an existing contract. This effort will support program management, engineering development, systems integration, long lead material, and special tooling and equipment in support of missile and launching platform production for Conventional Prompt Strike. Confident Investing Starts Here:
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Navy ramps up unmanned systems weapons tests, calls for industry push
The Navy this month undertook two groundbreaking weapons systems tests, which were followed by an announcement for a planned Future Unmanned Surface Vessel Industry Day in June to 'to accelerate the development and procurement of future USVs.' The Navy's Strategic Systems Programs on May 2 conducted the first sea-based cold-gas launch approach of its Conventional Prompt Strike, or CPS, hypersonic missile. Unlike in hot launch methods, in which the projectile motor ignites in the launch silo before flying towards its target, the cold-gas technique sees the missile launch first before the first stage of ignition. This method, according to the Navy, will become the standard for launching hypersonic missiles from ships at sea. 'The cold-gas approach allows the Navy to eject the missile from the platform and achieve a safe distance above the ship prior to first stage ignition,' said Vice Adm. Johnny Wolfe, director of Strategic Systems Programs. The test of the CPS missile was followed by the first-ever launch of a Solid Fuel Integral Rocket Ramjet (SFIRR) from an unmanned aerial vehicle operated by the U.S. Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division. The unmanned vehicle launch test also tested live firing control on a BQM-34 target vehicle, demonstrating maneuverability, control and long-range accuracy. 'This successful integration validates key aspects of our design and moves us closer to delivering an advanced propulsion system that will provide warfighters with greater range and speed,' said Abbey Horning, product director of NAWCWD's Advanced Concepts, Prototyping and Experimentation office, in a release. 'We're not just revisiting an old idea; we're refining and modernizing it to fit today's mission,' With the Navy seeking to strengthen its existing fleet with the inclusion of unmanned vessels, it is scheduled to host an industry day in Washington on June 17 for the Future Unmanned Surface Vessel Program. The craft showcased will be 'an open ocean, 25+ knot, high endurance, non-exquisite, autonomous vessel,' which will also be 'built to commercial standards,' according to a special notice.
Axios
12-05-2025
- Business
- Axios
Exclusive: X-Bow and Lockheed collaborating amid $105 million raise
Lockheed Martin is fast-tracking X-Bow Systems as a new, independent supplier of solid-rocket motors and other services, the defense upstart's CEO, Jason Hundley, told Axios. Why it matters: "The Lockheed Martin Corporation, I will say, is one of the largest producers and procurers of solid-rocket motors in Western civilization," he said in an interview. Lockheed, also the world's largest defense contractor by revenue, "does not enter these agreements lightly, is what we understand," he added. "They get their choice of investments in these areas." The latest: The arrangement coincides with the closure of X-Bow's Series B funding round at a little more than $105 million. Investors include Razor's Edge Ventures, Crosslink Capital, Balerion Space Ventures and Capital Factory Ventures. Lockheed Martin Ventures and Boeing Ventures were early backers, as well. Between the lines: X-Bow (pronounced crossbow) is among a handful of fresh SRM competitors in the U.S. The cadre's breakout comes as pricey munitions are expended across the world and the Pentagon sweats industrial health back home. State of play: X-Bow is based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and is building an energetics campus near Austin, Texas. It will open soon. The company also offers a "rocket factory in a box" for distributed, on-demand production. Its approximately 300 employees include SpaceX alumni. Context: X-Bow has inked contracts across the military and, Hundley said, "all the services are ... experiencing the same pinch point at the same time." "We've been focused on two factors for the last several years: scale and affordability," he said. The company was previously tapped for work tied to the Army's Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon and the Navy's Conventional Prompt Strike.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Sea-based hypersonic missile launch system clears key test as US reveals secret launch
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways The Department of Defense (DoD) on Friday revealed that the missile launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on April 25 successfully demonstrated an end-to-end hypersonic flight test, marking the first use of a sea-based cold-gas launch system. This system, which safely ejects the missile from a ship platform before ignition, is expected to play a key role in future advanced weapon deployments at sea, including aboard the USS Zumwalt. In a press release, the Pentagon noted that data gathered from the test will support continued development of the Common All-Up Round (AUR), a joint hypersonic missile being developed for both the Navy and Army. 'The speed, range, and survivability of hypersonic weapons are key to integrated deterrence for America,' Secretary of the Navy John Phelan said. 'When fielded, Conventional Prompt Strike will deliver unmatched capabilities to our warfighters.' Cold launch, big leap The test comes as the United States intensifies its efforts to build hypersonic capabilities, joining Russia and China in a growing global race to master the technology. Russia has reportedly used hypersonic missiles in Ukraine, while China has denied testing such weapons, despite U.S. military claims. Vice Adm. Johnny R. Wolfe Jr., Director of the Navy's Strategic Systems Programs (SSP), emphasized that the cold-gas launch approach moves the Navy closer to safely deploying hypersonic systems. 'The cold-gas approach allows the Navy to eject the missile from the platform and achieve a safe distance above the ship prior to first-stage ignition,' Wolfe said. 'This technical achievement brings SSP one step closer to fulfilling our role of providing a safe and reliable hypersonic capability to our Navy.' The CPS program has been critical in preparing for the first Navy deployment aboard the Zumwalt. Prior to the flight test, the program conducted an extensive test campaign using an in-air launch test facility to validate the launch approach. Information gathered from the test will help inform continued development of the AUR and its integration with surface ship platforms, the Navy said. Silent test, loud message The DoD maintained complete secrecy as it fired skyward from Launch Complex 46 on April 25 to conduct the test in one of the first war missile launches from Cape Canaveral since 1988. A navigational warning issued by the U.S. Coast Guard hinted at a hypersonic test flight, outlining a broad security zone stretching into the Atlantic Ocean. 'A combined team of government, academic, and industry partners conducted a test on behalf of the Department of Defense from a test site at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. We are currently evaluating the results of the test,' a DoD spokesperson told Florida Today at the time, without disclosing further details. The swift advancement of sea-based hypersonic strike systems is seen as a significant boost to the U.S. military's ability to deter—or if necessary, defeat—strategic threats. The range, speed, precision, and survivability of hypersonic weapons represent a major leap in U.S. conventional strike capability, complementing existing systems and bolstering its edge against high-end adversaries.
Asia Times
05-05-2025
- Science
- Asia Times
US fires hot shot in hypersonic sea race with China
The US Navy fired a major shot in the race for sea-based hypersonic dominance, aiming to turn a long-troubled stealth destroyer into tomorrow's fastest naval strike platform. This month, the US Navy successfully conducted an end-to-end flight test of a conventional hypersonic missile, marking a pivotal step toward its first sea-based hypersonic capability. The test, conducted at Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, validated the US Navy's cold-gas launch system, designed to eject missiles before ignition safely. It advances the Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) program, developed in partnership with the US Army's Rapid Capabilities Office, which had completed two prior flight tests in 2024. Vice Admiral Johnny R Wolfe Jr, head of Strategic Systems Programs, said the milestone brings the US Navy closer to deploying CPS aboard the USS Zumwalt. The hypersonic system, offering high speed, range and survivability, enhances US deterrence and strike capabilities amid growing strategic competition. Insights from the test will inform the refinement of the common All Up Round (AUR) missile, reinforcing the ability to counter high-end adversary threats. The War Zone (TWZ) reported in January 2025 that the Zumwalt-class can carry up to 12 missiles triple-packed into Advanced Payload Module (APM) canisters. TWZ says that the Intermediate-Range Conventional Prompt Strike (IRCPS) missiles to be installed aboard the ships will have an unpowered boost-glide vehicle payload capable of maneuvering unpredictably toward their targets. Delving into the tactical advantages of sea-based hypersonic weapons, Francis Mahon and Punch Moulton mention in a January 2025 article for Real Clear Defense that such weapons can be effective against time-sensitive targets, often fleeting, high-value, and high-payoff. Mahon and Punch note that such targets are often beyond the reach or responsiveness of current strike capabilities, but hypersonic weapons can change that. Illustrating that capability difference, the Atlantic Council mentions in a March 2025 report that traditional subsonic cruise missiles, such as the Tomahawk or Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM), would take an hour to hit a target 800 kilometers away, while a hypersonic cruise missile could hit the mark in less than ten minutes. The report also says that a hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) can cover the distance between Guam and the Taiwan Strait in less than 30 minutes. To underscore the scale of hitting time-sensitive targets, Thomas MacDonald mentions in a January 2025 article in the peer-reviewed Journal of Strategic Studies that the operators of ground-based mobile missiles could deploy multiple transporter-erector-launchers (TEL) across different locations simultaneously, ensuring a survivable capability. MacDonald says that TEL operators could choose to move their missiles if gaps exist in an adversary's remote sensing coverage. He notes that TEL operators could keep their missiles hidden if an adversary loses track of the projectiles, forcing them to keep track of them continuously and nullifying the advantages of sensor technologies that rely on stealth or have limited endurance. In addition, MacDonald states that TEL operators would likely deploy countermeasures against an adversary's tracking capabilities, which range from satellite-blinding lasers to decoys. To further illustrate the threat, the US Department of Defense's (DOD) 2024 China Military Power Report (CMPR) mentions that China's People's Liberation Army Rocket Force (PLARF) has approximately 1,500 TEL units, presenting a formidable targeting challenge. The PLARF, as noted by the report, plays a critical role in China's counter-intervention strategy against Taiwan and strategic nuclear deterrence. Discussing the advantages of deploying hypersonic weapons at sea, former US Navy Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Michael Gilday mentions in an April 2021 USNI News article that such deployment could enable multi-vector attacks. In addition, Gilday points out that deploying hypersonic weapons at sea gives a mobility advantage, which can substantially increase survivability, given that adversaries may have access to ubiquitous satellite imagery of the Pacific. Contextualizing the possible deployment of hypersonic-armed Zumwalt-class destroyers at the operational level, such ships may play a critical role as part of a two-level force described by Thomas Mahnken in a February 2022 Proceedings article. Of that dual force, Mahnken mentions that an 'inside force' composed of mobile, dispersed ground and expeditionary forces would transform the First Island Chain spanning Okinawa, Taiwan and the Philippines into defensive bastions armed with missiles, sensors and electronic warfare systems to prevent China from projecting power beyond that region. That force, Mahnken says, would be supported by an 'outside force' primarily consisting of air and naval forces employing standoff or penetrating capabilities that could exploit gaps in China's anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) systems created by inside forces to support defensive operations with mass and conduct offensive operations, including strikes on the Chinese mainland. As a hypersonic weapon launcher, the Zumwalt class could be a critical asset in an envisioned outside force. However, rising costs and delays could once again derail the platform's relevance, echoing the cost-death spiral of its previously equipped Advanced Gun System (AGS) intended initially for naval gunfire support (NGFS). A US Congressional Research Service (CRS) report from April 2025 says that due to high costs, the US may only have a small number of hypersonic weapons. It also mentions that the US may need large numbers of such weapons to defeat high-end targets. A January 2023 US Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report illustrates these likely prohibitive costs, mentioning that intermediate-range hypersonic boost-glide missiles of the type to be installed in the Zumwalt class could cost up to US$41 million per unit. The effectiveness of the Zumwalt class is also in question. A US CRS report from December 2024 mentions insufficient data to determine the class's effectiveness in anti-air warfare (AAW), torpedo defense and undersea warfare. The report states that the Zumwalt-class surface strike capabilities have yet to be evaluated following the completion of live missile events in 2027. It also says that existing data is insufficient to assess the type's survivability against threat weapons. Meanwhile, as the US continues retrofitting a previously sidelined destroyer platform to accommodate hypersonic weapons, China may already have the upper hand in ship-based hypersonic firepower. In April 2022, Naval News reported that China test-fired the YJ-21 hypersonic anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) from one of its Type 055 cruisers. According to Naval News, launch footage may imply that the YJ-21 might be a cold-launched, two-stage missile equipped with a hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV)—similar to the type of weapon the US plans to install on its Zumwalt-class destroyers. The report also points out that China has eight Type 055 cruisers in service and additional units planned, in contrast to the three-ship Zumwalt-class, with its DDG(X) successor still in development. Whether the rearmed Zumwalt class signals the dawn of a new strike era or represents a last-ditch revival of the platform, the hypersonic race at sea is accelerating and the US cannot afford complacency.
