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Lockheed Martin will partner with the US Navy to integrate the hypersonic strike capability under the US government’s Conventional Prompt Strike program in an initial contract worth US$1.1 billion.
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The US Navy awarded Lockheed Martin a contract worth more than US$2 billion, if all options are exercised, to integrate the Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) weapon system onto Zumwalt Class guided missile destroyers (DDGs).
CPS is a hypersonic boost-glide weapon system that enables long-range missile flight at speeds greater than Mach 5, with high survivability against enemy defences.
Steve Layne, vice president of Hypersonic Strike Weapon Systems at Lockheed Martin, said, “Lockheed Martin continues to advance hypersonic strike capability for the United States through this new contract.”
Under this contract, prime contractor Lockheed Martin will provide launcher systems, weapon control, all-up-rounds (AURs), which are the integrated missile components, and platform integration support for this naval platform.
The company, along with industry partners including sub-contractors Northrop Grumman and General Dynamics Mission Systems, is on track to provide the CPS surface-launched, sea-based hypersonic strike capability to sailors by the mid-2020s.
This contract also provides for additional AURs plus canisters for the US Army’s Long Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) testing, training and tactical employment — this will deliver a major step change to the US Armed force through the delivery of a “shared missile” between the US Army and Navy, respectively.
“Early design work is already underway. Our team looks forward to supporting the warfighter by providing more options to further protect America at sea,” Layne added.
The combination of the CPS capability and the stealth and mobility of the Zumwalt Class destroyer will provide the nation’s first sea-based hypersonic strike capability. Fielding CPS on the Zumwalt Class destroyer will be a necessary and important step toward equipping the warfighter with a capability that embodies Lockheed Martin’s 21st Century Security vision in support of their customers in the United States and abroad.
CPS shares a common AUR with the Army LRHW and can be launched from multiple platforms including surface ships, submarines, and land-based mobile launchers — Lockheed Martin is the prime systems integrator for the CPS and LRHW weapon systems.
The company leads a team of industry, government, and academic partners to make critical progress in design and development to meet this urgent warfighter need in both land and sea domains.
Hypersonic weapons and air and missile defence are key priorities of the United States Department of Defense’s National Defense Strategy and Missile Defense Review — as part of this, Lockheed Martin has invested in developing and demonstrating hypersonic technology for over 60 years ranging from operationalising hypersonic capabilities, through to systems development and engineering.
Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 116,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration, and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products, and services.
