US Army to fund Strategic Strike vertical take-off cruise missile
California-based startup Mach Industries is developing the Strategic Strike precision vertical take-off cruise missile for the US Army.
Here's What We Know
The project was ordered by the Army Applications Laboratory in the third quarter of 2024, completed by September, and testing began in January 2025.
The Strategic Strike is equipped with artificial intelligence and radio frequency sensing methods for navigation in GPS jamming conditions. It is a vertical take-off (VTO) turbojet missile with a range of 290 km and a warhead of over 10 kg. According to Mach Industries, its range can be increased.
The missile is designed to hit important targets, such as radar stations and artillery installations, beyond the front line. It has a greater range and effectiveness than mortars or towed artillery, and can destroy enemy detection systems before they can even detect US forces.
The Strategic Strike missile. Illustration: Mach Industries
The Strategic Strike combines the speed of a cruise missile with the range of HIMARS and the accuracy of the Hellfire, but it will potentially cost less than guided missiles or precision-guided missiles.
The US Army has ordered five missiles to prove the concept. Mach Industries CEO Ethan Thornton said that the company expects to mass-produce the Strategic Strike.
Source: Mach Industries
