The U.S. Army awarded Lockheed Martin a $756 million contract today to enhance the nation's ground-based hypersonic weapon system, the Long Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW).
Under the new contract, Lockheed Martin will supply additional LRHW battery equipment, provide systems and software engineering support, and deliver logistics solutions to the Army.
The LRHW introduces a new class of ultrafast, maneuverable long-range hypersonic missiles capable of launching from ground mobile platforms. This system is designed to deploy the common hypersonic All Up Round (AUR) — managed by the U.S. Navy's Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) program — and includes components such as the Army canister, a battery operations center, and transporter erector launchers.
Steve Layne, vice president of Hypersonic Strike Weapon Systems at Lockheed Martin, commented on the contract, stating, “Lockheed Martin is proud to continue our strong partnership with the U.S. government for hypersonic strike capability. With this contract, we will support the U.S. Army to sustain the Long Range Hypersonic Weapon System currently in the hands of U.S. soldiers, produce additional batteries for future fielding, and support flight testing.”
Lockheed Martin delivered the first LRHW battery, known as Dark Eagle, to U.S. soldiers in 2021. The company will continue to work with the U.S. Army to address this critical national security need.