Once deployed, the Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) program should enhance the US military’s ability to conduct rapid, long-range precision strikes, providing a strategic advantage in countering emerging threats.
Lockheed Martin has secured a $1 billion contract modification from the US Navy to continue its support for the Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) hypersonic weapons program. Announced this June, the contract encompasses various efforts, including program management, engineering development, systems integration, procurement of long-lead materials, and the development of specialized tools and equipment.
Work under the new contract is scheduled to continue through August 2028, with manufacturing taking place at multiple Lockheed facilities across the United States. The contract is one of several significant contracts that Lockheed has received for the CPS program. In February 2023, the Navy awarded Lockheed a $1.1 billion initial contract to integrate the CPS weapon system with the Zumwalt-class guided missile destroyers, which would have marked America’s first sea-based hypersonic strike capability.
Moreover, in February 2023, Lockheed was awarded a $1.2 billion contract to deliver hypersonic missiles to both the Navy and the Army. The slew of contracts underscores America’s increased interest in advancing its hypersonic capabilities, with the CPS program serving as a cornerstone for enhancing rapid, long-range precision strike options.
The CPS program is a hypersonic boost-glide missile system capable of speeds exceeding Mach 5 (roughly 3,800 mph). Lockheed Martin is the primary contractor, responsible for launcher systems, weapon control, and platform integration. Northrop Grumman is tasked with designing the missile motor. Dynetics, recently purchased by larger military contractor Leidos, is responsible for the Common Hypersonic Glide Body (C-HGB). Finally, General Dynamics Mission Systems is providing integration support. The CPS program is a team effort with multiple giants in the defense industry contributing to its development.
The CPS program relies upon a two-stage solid rocket motor. The motor propels the missile to high altitudes and accelerates before releasing its glide body. The C-HGB, or glide body, is the unpowered glide vehicle that maneuvers through the atmosphere at hypersonic speeds to reach its targets. For guidance, the CPS relies upon a combination of inertial navigation, GPS, and electro-optical systems for precise targeting.
On the Navy side, the CPS is expected to be deployable from the Zumwalt-class destroyer and the Virginia-class submarine. On the Army side, the CPS is expected to be deployable from ground-based mobile launchers.
Once deployed, the CPS should enhance the US military’s ability to conduct rapid, long-range precision strikes, providing a strategic advantage in countering emerging threats. Sharing the missile system between the Navy and the Army promotes cost efficiency and operational flexibility. Integration onto advanced platforms like the Zumwalt and Virginia, which are two of the Navy’s newest platforms, highlights how the CPS system is part of the Navy’s modernization effort.
Several engineering challenges must be solved before the CPS can be deployed. The most difficult is that operating at Mach 5 speeds presents inherent problems relating to thermal management, aerodynamics, guidance and control, and integration. However, if such issues are resolved, then the CPS system could potentially be deployed in 2027.
About the Author: Harrison Kass
Harrison Kass is a senior defense and national security writer with over 1,000 total pieces on issues involving global affairs. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, Harrison joined the US Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.
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