Pentagon Deals for 10,000+ Low-Cost Cruise Missiles

The Pentagon announced Wednesday framework agreements with Anduril, CoAspire, Leidos, and Zone 5 to procure more than 10,000 low-cost containerized cruise missiles over three years, starting with test deliveries in June. A parallel deal with Castelion calls for at least 500 Blackbeard hypersonic missiles annually for two years, with options to extend to five years and expand to 12,000 units pending additional funding.

The Low-Cost Containerized Missiles program, or LCCM, aims to rapidly rebuild U.S. munitions stockpiles depleted by recent high-intensity conflicts. Officials described the containerized systems as affordable, concealable options deployable from standard shipping containers, potentially aboard cargo vessels for surprise strikes. Anduril plans to deliver a minimum of 1,000 surface-launched Barracuda 500M cruise missiles per year for three years, with initial units arriving in the first half of 2027. Leidos will supply missiles based on its AGM-190A Small Cruise Missile design, scaled to a larger variant, starting with 3,000 units after full testing. CoAspire and Zone 5, which previously contributed to the Air Force's Extended Range Attack Munition initiative, will...