The US Air Force has awarded Lockheed Martin a $694-million contract to produce its Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW), advancing the hypersonic missile program toward production.
The deal follows years of development and testing of the air-launched weapon, which is designed to travel at speeds above Mach 5.
Lockheed Martin said it had already invested in materials and equipment needed to begin production before receiving government funding.
To support manufacturing, the company has broken ground on a 47,000-square-foot (4,366-square-meter) expansion of its Building P-20 facility in Troy, Alabama. The project will triple the facility’s current production space for ARRW and is expected to create jobs over the next four years.
Lockheed Martin said it invested $67 million in the expansion and equipment. The upgraded facility will use advanced manufacturing processes, robotics, and digital technologies.
“ARRW expands our weapon systems portfolio and launches a critical, high-precision, and sustained hypersonic capability that will enhance the US Air Force’s strategic advantage across multiple domains,” Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control President Tim Cahill said.
ARRW Hypersonic Missile
The ARRW is an air-launched boost-glide weapon designed to hit high-value targets at long range.
Carried by a B-52 bomber, it uses a rocket booster to accelerate before releasing a glide vehicle that travels at hypersonic speeds and maneuvers toward its target.
Its speed and maneuverability are intended to make the weapon harder for air defense systems to intercept. Launching from an aircraft also allows the air force to deploy the missile from a distance, without placing launchers near hostile territory.
The program has faced setbacks during development and testing, and the service has previously considered shifting resources toward other hypersonic weapons.