The U.S. Department of Defense, referred to by the Trump administration as the U.S. Department of War, announced its new framework agreements will expand the United States’ military’s strike capabilities.
According to the DoW, its new agreements with Anduril, CoAspire, Leidos and Zone 5 will launch a Low-Cost Containerized Missiles (LCCM) program, while parallel agreements with Castelion will advance a scale low-cost hypersonic solution. The department said the agreements will field effective and affordable kinetic mass for the Joint Force at scale to strengthen the American military with a “lethal Arsenal of Freedom.”
“We will deliver affordable mass for our warfighters at unprecedented speed,” Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering Emil Michael said. “In concert with establishing a clear demand signal, these Framework Agreements commit American industry to on-time, on-cost delivery and investment in R&D and facilities. This commercial style of partnership is fully aligned with Secretary (Pete) Hegseth’s Acquisition Transformation Strategy.”
The new agreements will drive a fast-paced experimentation and assessment campaign that will culminate in a Military Utility Assessment by sponsoring Service Components, the department said. The agreements establish the terms for firm-fixed-price production contract and positions the department to purchase more than 10,000 low-cost cruise missiles in just three years, starting in 2027. The Department said the agreements create a pathway for rapid and repeatable production of high-volume lethal strike capabilities and include firm fixed material-unit costs for production lots in 2027 through 2029.
“Today’s announcement is the latest sign that our Acquisition Transformation Strategy is delivering on its promise to rebuild the Arsenal of Freedom,” Michael Duffey, Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment said. “We are moving beyond the traditional prime contractors to expand our industrial base, accelerating testing timelines, and sending a clear, long-term demand signal to innovative new entrants.”