Lockheed Martin received $315 million to develop a non-nuclear hypersonic Conventional Prompt Strike weapon for the Zumwalt destroyers and Virginia Block V nuclear-powered submarines

On 24 August, the US Navy entered into a deal with Lockheed Martin to develop the Conventional Prompt Strike hypersonic weapon. The amount of the deal was $315 million.

Here's What We Know

The agreement covers the design, development, production and integration of equipment for demonstration flight tests of hypersonic missiles and their operation. The US Navy intends to equip Zumwalt-class destroyers and Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines in Block V modification with Conventional Prompt Strike hypersonic weapons.

Last week we wrote that the USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000) arrived at Ingalls Shipbuilding in Mississippi. It will be equipped with four launchers with a total of 12 missiles.

In the future, the U.S. Navy intends to arm the destroyers Michael Monsoor (DDG 1001) and Lyndon B. Johnson (DDG 1002) with hypersonic missiles. Virginia Block V submarines will begin receiving Conventional Prompt Strike in about 5-6 years.

Note that Conventional Prompt Strike is a joint US Army and Navy programme to develop a long-range hypersonic missile. It uses the C-HGB (Common-Hypersonic Glide Body) warhead. The weapon for the US Army is called LRHW (Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon). It has a maximum launch range of about 2,775 kilometres.

Source: Naval News