hypersonics Archives - Defense Daily

Lockheed Martin Wins Another $1.36 Billion For CPS Modification

Rich Abott — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 20:48:07 +0000

The Navy’s Strategic Systems Program awarded Lockheed Martin [LMT] a $1.36 billion modification on March 31 to continue work for the Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) hypersonic weapon. The Navy is […]

DDG-1000 Finishes HII Builders Trials After Hypersonic Launcher Installed

Rich Abott — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 21:50:54 +0000

HII’s [HII] Ingalls Shipbuilding division this week announced it completed builder’s sea trials for the USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000) destroyer following the completion of a modernization period that makes it the […]

Zumwalt Installs Of Hypersonic Weapon Tubes On Pace, Testing For IOC Unclear

Rich Abott — Tue, 13 Jan 2026 22:20:47 +0000

The Navy’s three Zumwalt-class destroyers are proceeding roughly on time to install the missile tubes and systems that will allow them to be the service’s ships to field hypersonic weapons, […]

Rocket Lab Launches HASTE Vehicle With MDA And DIU Payloads

Rich Abott — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 22:12:01 +0000

Rocket Lab [RKLB] on Tuesday announced the successful launch of a suborbital mission using its HASTE launch vehicle with missile defense technology payloads operating for the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) […]

Navy Tech Accelerator Preps Opportunity To Demo Prototype High Speed Weapons

Rich Abott — Wed, 27 Aug 2025 16:00:33 +0000

Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Crane Division is preparing to issue an opportunity for vendors to demonstrate prototype high speed weapons, with the goal of seeing a wide range of […]

Navy Freezes Hypersonic HALO Missile To Restructure Due To Cost, GAO Says

Rich Abott — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 21:14:23 +0000

The Navy has paused and now intends to restructure its anti-ship hypersonic missile program because acquisition offers were too expensive, according to the latest Government Accountability Office (GAO) annual weapons […]

Navy Performs First Hypersonic Test Using Future Sea-Based Launch Systems

Rich Abott — Fri, 02 May 2025 21:42:53 +0000

The Navy on Friday said it conducted the first end-to-end flight test of the Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) hypersonic missile using the cold gas launch approach it plans to use […]

RTX’s Losing Counter-Hypersonic Bid Used Blast Fragmentation But Partner Japan Wanted Hit-To Kill, Protest Proceeds

Rich Abott — Tue, 25 Feb 2025 22:29:12 +0000

A decision in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims this month noted RTX’s [RTX] bid for the Missile Defense Agency’s (MDA) counter-hypersonic program used a blast-fragmentation method, but partner Japan […]

Kratos Confirms Hypersonic Test Bed Uses Erinyes Vehicle

Rich Abott — Tue, 18 Feb 2025 21:53:51 +0000

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions [KTOS] confirmed tests of the Missile Defense Agency’s (MDA) hypersonic test bed have used its Erinyes vehicle. On Jan. 13 MDA conducted its second flight […]

Zumwalt To Finish Hypersonic Weapon Tube Install By End Of 2025, DDG-1002 to Start Mod in 2026

Rich Abott — Thu, 16 Jan 2025 21:00:55 +0000

The Navy’s Zumwalt-class destroyer program manager this week said the first ship to get the new hypersonic missile system should finish installing missile tubes and be ready for testing by […]

MDA Conducts Second Flight Test Experiment With Hypersonic Test Bed

Rich Abott — Wed, 15 Jan 2025 21:56:10 +0000

The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) conducted the second flight experiment of its Hypersonic Test Bed (HTB) on Jan.13, the agency said Tuesday. The HTB is a glide vehicle designed to […]

Northrop Grumman Conducts Rocket Motor Tests For Future Navy Hypersonic Missiles

Rich Abott — Fri, 03 Jan 2025 20:56:38 +0000

Last month Northrop Grumman [NOC] said it performed a successful series of static fires tests for a rocket motor to support future Navy hypersonic missile capabilities. The company said it […]

Zumwalt Back In Water As HII Upgrades To Field Hypersonic Weapons

Rich Abott — Mon, 09 Dec 2024 22:13:43 +0000

The first Navy ship set to receive hypersonic weapons is one step closer to testing them after it was undocked at the HII Ingalls Shipbuilding division [HII] Pascagoula, Miss., facility […]

AUKUS Partners Sign Hypersonic Agreement

Rich Abott — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 22:05:40 +0000

The defense ministries of the three AUKUS allies announced a new agreement to share hypersonic testing facilities and information under the agreement’s Pillar II efforts. The U.S. Defense Department, Australian […]

Hypersonic Weapons On Zumwalt Destroyer Pushed Back To 2027

Rich Abott — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 21:33:29 +0000

Testing the first hypersonic missiles on the USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000) destroyer is running at least two years behind plan for 2025, pushed back to 2027, a Navy official said Thursday. […]

U.S. To Begin Deploying Long-Range Fires, Including Hypersonics, To Germany In 2026

Matthew Beinart — Thu, 11 Jul 2024 21:18:28 +0000

The U.S. Army is planning to start periodic deployments of long-range fires capabilities, including hypersonic weapons, to Germany starting in 2026. The capabilities will be deployed with one of the […]

Lockheed Martin Nabs $534 Million For Hypersonic Development And Testing

Rich Abott — Fri, 28 Jun 2024 20:08:26 +0000

The Navy awarded Lockheed Martin [LMT] a $534 million contract modification on June 27 for testing as well as systems engineering and development for the Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) hypersonic […]

Underfunding GPI Causing Schedule Slips, Shyu Says

Rich Abott — Tue, 16 Apr 2024 21:30:07 +0000

The Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering said the schedule for the Missile Defense Agency’s (MDA) interceptor aimed at hypersonic missile threats is slipping due to lower funding […]

MDA Looks To Pick Hypersonic Missile Defense Winner In FY ‘25, Japan Co-Development To Lower R&D Funds

Rich Abott — Mon, 18 Mar 2024 19:10:16 +0000

The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) plans to pick the winner of the Glide Phase Interceptor (GPI) hypersonic defense system soon and reduce research and development funds thanks to co-development with […]

U.S. And Japan To Finalize Hypersonic Defense Co-Development Agreement

Rich Abott — Fri, 08 Mar 2024 14:48:11 +0000

The U.S. and Japanese governments are getting close to finalizing an agreement to jointly develop and build a hypersonic missile defense interceptor, a military official said. Director of the Missile […]

SAIC Nabs $63 Million Contract For Navy Hypersonic Work

Rich Abott — Thu, 04 Jan 2024 22:19:25 +0000

Science Applications International Corp. [SAIC] said on Thursday it won a $63 million contract from the Navy to support advanced hypersonic concepts and strategic mission development. The work is specifically […]

Northrop Grumman and RTX Nab Another Round of Hypersonic Defense Funds For More Concept Refinement

Rich Abott — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 22:00:14 +0000

The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) awarded both Northrop Grumman [NOC] and RTX [RTX] another $54 million to fund further concept refinement for their hypersonic defense Glide Phase Intercept (GPI) concepts. […]

Army Looks To Reduce Hypersonic Industry Costs, Official Outlines Supply Chain Issues

Rich Abott — Thu, 12 Oct 2023 21:12:16 +0000

A U.S. Army official this week outlined where the service sees specific opportunities to lower costs for parts of hypersonic missiles and highlightedlimitations in the current supply chain. Dynetics [LDOS] […]

Lockheed Martin Taps Aerojet Rocketdyne To Power HALO

Rich Abott — Fri, 15 Sep 2023 18:27:21 +0000

L3 Harris Technologies [LHX] said its Aerojet Rocketdyne subsidiary was chosen by Lockheed Martin [LMT] to provide the propulsion system for the anti-ship Hypersonic Air-Launched Offensive Anti-Surface weapon (HALO). The […]

Boeing Wins Phase 2 Of DARPA Hypersonic Defense Interceptor

Rich Abott — Mon, 11 Sep 2023 21:09:11 +0000

Boeing [BA] won a $70.5 million contract to develop and test technologies for the second phase of the Defense Advanced Research projects Agency’s (DARPA) counter-hypersonic missile interceptor program, Glide Breaker. […]

HII Nabs $155 Million Mod To Install Hypersonic Missiles On DDG-1000

Rich Abott — Wed, 30 Aug 2023 21:35:18 +0000

The Navy awarded HII [HII] a $155 million modification to execute the modernization of the USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000) that will install hypersonic missiles. The work is expected to be finished […]

MDA Hypersonic Defense Program Limited Due To New Technologies, Focused On Maturing Tech

Rich Abott — Tue, 22 Aug 2023 21:54:48 +0000

A top Missile Defense Agency official recently said its work on a new hypersonic missile defense effort is “throttled” due to new technology that has to be matured, but it […]

Navy Plans To Issue EMD Contract For Carrier-Based Hypersonic Weapon In Early 2024

Rich Abott — Tue, 18 Jul 2023 20:14:19 +0000

A recent Navy notice said the service intends to conduct a competition for the Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) phase for an aircraft carrier-based hypersonic weapon program later this year […]

GD Wins $1.1 Billion Mod For Long-Lead Material Of Two Virginia Subs After Delay

Rich Abott — Wed, 24 May 2023 19:28:09 +0000

General Dynamics Electric Boat [GD] on May 23 won a $1.1 billion contract modification to procure long-lead time material for two Virginia-class attack submarines after a delay due to an […]

Northrop Grumman And Raytheon Nab More Contract Mods To Refine Hypersonic Defense Concepts

Rich Abott — Mon, 01 May 2023 21:12:10 +0000

The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) last week awarded Northrop Grumman [NOC] and Raytheon Technologies [RTX] additional firm-fixed-price modifications to extend their work refining concepts for hypersonic missile defense, called the […]

MDA’s Hill: NGI Program Flexible Enough To Allow Two Builders, GPI Could Move Faster

Rich Abott — Fri, 21 Apr 2023 21:49:29 +0000

The Missile Defense Agency’s acquisition plan for the newest interceptors to defend the U.S. from ballistic missiles is flexible enough to potentially use two contractors to build them faster while […]

Lockheed Martin And Raytheon Picked To Develop HALO Hypersonic Anti-Ship Missile

Rich Abott — Wed, 29 Mar 2023 21:44:50 +0000

The Navy awarded Lockheed Martin [LMT] and Raytheon Technologies [RTX] $116 million in contracts on March 27 to start developing anti-ship air-launched hypersonic weapons that can be based on aircraft […]

MDA Set To Move Hypersonic Defense From Analysis To Hardware, Technology Development

Rich Abott — Mon, 27 Mar 2023 19:01:25 +0000

The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) is preparing to shift its hypersonic missile defense effort analysis to hardware development after final reviews, the director said recently. The program, called Glide Phase […]

Navy Seeks $3.6 Billion For 64 Hypersonic Weapons In Next Five Years

Rich Abott — Thu, 23 Mar 2023 21:43:52 +0000

The Navy’s FY ‘24 budget request revealed the service’s plans to procure 64 hypersonic weapon rounds for $3.6 billion over the next five years. The Navy is starting with seeking […]

Navy Researchers Outline Limits And Costs Of Hypersonic Missiles

Rich Abott — Tue, 07 Mar 2023 22:46:07 +0000

SAN DIEGO– Two Navy researchers last month outlined some major limitations on adding and using hypersonic weapons., focused on physics limitations combined with expense. “So there is an advantage to […]

Pyle: Navy Could Consider Adding Hypersonic Missiles To LUSVs, Wants To Upgrade Zumwalt Past Hypersonic Weapons

Rich Abott — Fri, 03 Mar 2023 22:46:06 +0000

The Navy is not currently considering adding hypersonic missiles to Large Unmanned Surface Vehicles (LUSV), but the service may consider that after initial testing from the USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000) in […]

Navy Plans Hypersonic Test From DDG-1000 By December 2025

Rich Abott — Fri, 03 Feb 2023 22:52:57 +0000

The Navy is planning to conduct a hypersonic missile test launch off the USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000) by December 2025, an official said recently. “So timeline-wise…we’re supposed to do a test […]

HII Nabs Planning Contract For Zumwalt Hypersonic Missile Upgrade

Rich Abott — Mon, 09 Jan 2023 22:23:17 +0000

The Navy awarded HII [HII] a $10.5 million contract on Jan. 6 to plan the modernization work that will install the Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) hypersonic weapons on the Zumwalt-class […]

Raytheon And Northrop Grumman Win Mods To Continue Refining Hypersonic Defense Concepts

Rich Abott — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 22:13:26 +0000

The Missile Defense Agency awarded Raytheon Technologies [RTX] and Northrop Grumman [NOC] firm-fixed-price modifications to extend the current refinement of their hypersonic missile defense concepts for the Glide Phase Interceptor […]

Admiral: Hypersonic Weapons Too Expensive, Industrial Base Too Small For Services To Work Alone

Rich Abott — Wed, 09 Nov 2022 22:23:28 +0000

A Navy official last week admitted the cost of hypersonic weapon development is too expensive and the existing industrial base is too small for the military services to not work […]

Navy Official Says Time Biggest Pressure To Fielding Hypersonic Missiles on Zumwalt, Virginia In 2020s

Rich Abott — Tue, 08 Nov 2022 22:23:12 +0000

A top Navy official said last week the service is confident they will field hypersonic weapons on both a Zumwalt-class destroyer and Virginia-class submarine later this decade despite time pressures. […]

DoD Conducting A Round Of Hypersonic Testing This Week

Rich Abott — Wed, 26 Oct 2022 21:52:15 +0000

The Defense Department is conducting a second flight campaign this week with hypersonic experiments to help develop hypersonic weapons and defense, the Navy said on Oct. 26. The campaign is […]

MDA To Downselect Hypersonic Defense Competition

Rich Abott — Thu, 12 May 2022 20:38:13 +0000

The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) plans to narrow down its competitors for hypersonic missile defense later this year, the agency’s director said Wednesday. “We have a Other Transaction Authority agreement […]

AUKUS Partners Commit To Cooperation On Hypersonics, UUVs, And Cyber; Update On Sub Work

Rich Abott — Tue, 05 Apr 2022 21:45:57 +0000

The U.S., U.K and Australia confirmed Tuesday they are cooperating on hypersonic and counter-hypersonic weapons, autonomous underwater vehicles, and cyber capabilities in addition to a new nuclear-powered submarine for Australia. […]

Officials Outline Key Technologies In Hypersonic Defense Work

Rich Abott — Mon, 07 Feb 2022 22:51:48 +0000

Two Defense Department officials on Monday outlined how the key technologies in hypersonic missile defense differ from traditional ballistic missile defense and how offensive developments can aid defensive work. Hypersonic […]

Budget Issues Limits MDA Development In Hypersonic Defense

Rich Abott — Thu, 03 Feb 2022 22:17:29 +0000

This week the director of the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) said the program to intercept hypersonic weapons is being throttled due to funding issues. Last November, MDA selected Raytheon Technologies […]

MDA Selects Three Companies To Design Hypersonic Missile Interceptors

Rich Abott — Mon, 22 Nov 2021 21:56:50 +0000

The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) selected Raytheon Technologies [RTX], Lockheed Martin [LMT] and Northrop Grumman [NOC] on Nov. 19 to complete accelerated concept designs for a hypersonic missile defense interceptor. […]

Hypersonic Weapons To Reach SSNs By 2028, Need To Finish Underwater Test Facility

Rich Abott — Fri, 19 Nov 2021 20:45:22 +0000

A top Navy official said the service is on track to deploy hypersonic weapons to a surface ship then a submarine later this decade, as long as they restart testing […]

Navy Conducts Ground Test For Hypersonic Weapon Booster Rocket

Rich Abott — Fri, 29 Oct 2021 20:51:59 +0000

The Navy’s Strategic Systems program conducted the second test of the First Stage Solid Rocket Motor (SRM) for the booster rocket of the Navy and Army’s hypersonic weapons on Oct. […]

Navy Tests First Stage Rocket Of Hypersonic Weapon

Rich Abott — Thu, 27 May 2021 21:24:32 +0000

The Navy’s Strategic Systems Program successfully conducted a test of the first stage Solid Rocket Motor (SRM) on May 27 for the Defense Department’s hypersonic weapon effort. The test occurred […]