Lockheed Martin awarded nearly $32M in hypersonic missile contract

The U.S. Army’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) awarded Lockheed Martin a $31.9 million hypersonic missile contract.

The award is for the Operational Fires (OpFires) Phase 3 Weapon System Integration program, a ground-launched hypersonic boost glide missile system designed to penetrate modern enemy air defenses and rapidly engage time-sensitive targets.

Phase 3 of the OpFires program will take the design from the initial requirements development through the Critical Design Review (CDR) in late 2021. Flight testing is anticipated to begin in 2022.

“The OpFires missile is critical to providing the U.S. Army with a highly maneuverable and rapid response solution capable of operating from unpredictable land-launch positions to suppress hostile threats,” Hady Mourad, director of Tactical and Strike Missiles Advanced Programs at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, said. “Lockheed Martin will deliver the prototype missiles utilizing the experienced production teams that currently produce the ATACMS, GMLRS, and PAC-3 missile systems in Camden, Arkansas.”

Hypersonic weapons provide a survivable and affordable capability that will overcome distance in contested environments using high speed, altitude, and maneuverability. They amplify many of the enduring attributes of airpower – speed, range, flexibility, and precision. Lockheed Martin, based in Bethesda, Md., has been developing hypersonic technologies for more than 30 years.