Lockheed Martin has secured a contract, potentially worth $2 billion, to install conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) hypersonic missile launchers on the US Navy’s three Zumwalt-class destroyers by mid-decade.
When the Zumwalt class was conceived, it was envisioned as a “21st century destroyer” that would meet the needs of the US Navy in a changing world. Unlike previous destroyers, the Zumwalt would be a technological marvel, containing all sorts of advanced systems in a camouflaged, drop-down hull that wouldn’t look out of place in a futuristic movie, but still had the radar profile of a fishing boat.
The Zumwalt would not only be larger than other destroyers, but also than many cruisers and would have the long-range firepower of a battleship. But what really set the Zumwalt concept apart was its role, namely that of a multi-mission warship that could operate in territorial seas in support of land operations, but could also operate in blue-water areas for surface, anti-aircraft, and other duties .
The problem was that the Zumwalt project was plagued by controversy at the time USS Zumwalt was launched in 2016. Production delays, cost overruns that netted a price tag of $8 billion per ship, and the embarrassment of the class ship being stranded in the middle of the Panama Canal, and questions about its design resulted in only three of a planned 32 being built.
For years, the Zumwalt class had a dubious reputation for being a trio of missionless ships, but the new Lockheed contract will make them the first to carry the surface-launched, sea-launched hypersonic strike missiles. Capable of controlled flight at speeds in excess of Mach 5, these are fast enough to penetrate current air defense systems and have enough inertial energy to simply destroy a target on impact.
Under the contract, Lockheed and subcontractors Northrop Grumman and General Dynamics Mission Systems will provide delivery systems, weapon control, platform integration and All Up Rounds (AURs), the integrated missile components.
In addition, Lockheed will supply AURs plus canisters to the US Army for their Long Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW). The shared AUR means hypersonic missiles can be launched from ships, submarines, land-based mobile launchers, and other platforms.
“Lockheed Martin continues to advance hypersonic strike capabilities for the United States through this new contract,” said Steve Layne, vice president of Hypersonic Strike Weapon Systems at Lockheed Martin. “Early design work is already underway. Our team looks forward to supporting the warfighter by providing more options to further protect America at sea.”
Source: Lockheed Martin
Source: newatlas.com
Don’t miss interesting posts on Famousbio
