Lockheed Martin Wins $989 Million Contract Modification To Mainstream Hypersonic Weapons By 2022

Lockheed Martin received a massive $988.8 million U.S. Air Force contract for modification of the next generation hypersonic weapons systems.

This contract is a renegotiation of terms to a previously awarded contract. It covers review, test and production readiness on the ARRW or Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon. There have been rumors about this weapon floating around for quite some time. However, it was only this summer that it was reported that the U.S. Air Force and Lockheed Martin may have successfully flight tested the AGM 183a air-launched rapid response weapon.

The best part of it all is it was launched from a B-52 Stratofortress that have been modified to carry the weapon according to a report by Defense Blog. In a recent article by International Business Times, it was revealed that the CALCM was being retired by the service in favor of hypersonic weaponry that could be launched from the B-52 Stratofortress platform in a new aircraft platform called the arsenal aircraft.

An interesting clause about this contract is Lockheed is so confident in its technology that all of the work is expected to be completed by December 31st, 2022. The arsenal aircraft platform is also likely to be functioning by 2022.

Although Boeing is still in the game, there have been many issues plaguing the company recently, particularly those of the 737 Max aircraft that were grounded by the FAA. Boeing has been accused of walking away from their engineering backed precedence and leaning towards the bottom line and chasing the money. Lockheed Martin, meanwhile, is an established aerospace and defense corporation that focuses primarily on safety. Furthermore, it delivers fast, capable aircraft and weapons below budget and on time.

It would appear the US military is not ready to announce the actual development of an arsenal aircraft. The weapons systems are being tested in modified planes, and it sure looks as though it's going to be an effective solution to modern warfare.

Unlike most conventional weapons, the goal of the arsenal aircraft is to carry as much ordinance as possible over the battlefield at all times while remaining high enough that standard defensive measures cannot touch the plane. The B-52 certainly can do that as it can efficiently function at altitudes above 40,000 feet while still precisely delivering weapons on targets.