The US Navy’s Office of Strategic Systems Programs has awarded Lockheed Martin a $1.1 billion contract to integrate hypersonic attack capability into Zumwalt-class destroyers.
More specifically, the company will install the Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) weapons system in the Zumwalts. The CPS is a hypersonic boost and glide weapon system that enables long-range missile flight at speeds greater than Mach 5, with high survivability against enemy defenses.
The value of the contract could reach more than $2 billion, if all options are exercised, according to a February 17 Pentagon contract announcement.
Combining the capability of the CPS with the stealth and mobility of the Zumwalt-class destroyer will provide the United States with the first sea-based hypersonic strike capability.
The CPS program, which is being developed alongside the US Army’s Long Range Hypersonic Weapons (LRHW) program and shares a common hypersonic glide corps with it, is on track to support the first field deployment, according to the Pentagon. of a hypersonic capability “in the mid-2020s.”
The Navy stated earlier this month that it plans to test the hypersonic weapon system from the USS Zumwalt in late 2025.
The contract awarded to Lockheed is scheduled to run through September 2027. As prime contractor, Lockheed Martin will provide launch systems, weapons control, All Up Rounds (AURs), which are the integrated components of the missile, and platform integration support for this naval platform.
The contract also provides for the supply of additional AURs, as well as cartridges, for the testing, training and tactical use of the US Army’s LRHW.
“Lockheed Martin continues to advance hypersonic attack capability for the United States through this new contract,” said Steve Layne, Lockheed Martin vice president Hypersonic Attack Weapon Systems. “The first design works are already underground. Our team looks forward to supporting the combatant, providing more options to further protect America at sea.”
The CPS shares a common AUR with the Army’s LRHW and can be launched from multiple platforms, including surface ships, submarines, and land mobile launchers. Lockheed Martin is the primary systems integrator for the CPS and LRHW weapon systems.