The US Navy has signed a contract to integrate hypersonic weapons into naval platforms. Lockheed Martin Corporation received the contract worth over $2 billion. Hypersonic weapons or hypersonic missiles can move at five times the speed of sound and are highly maneuverable.

Under the initial $1.1 billion contract, Lockheed Martin will build the United States’ first sea-based hypersonic attack vehicle. According to the Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) program, the weapon will be integrated into the Zumwalt destroyer.

“The combination of CPS capabilities, stealth and mobility of the Zumwalt-class destroyer will provide the nation’s first sea-based hypersonic attack capability.Lockheed Martin noted.

The weapon under the CPS program is a hypersonic missile that provides a long range, a shorter approach time to the target at speeds above Mach 5, and high survivability against enemy air defenses.

“Lockheed Martin continues to expand hypersonic weapons capabilities for the US under this new contract“, said a representative of the Hypersonic Assault Weapon Systems division at Lockheed Martin.

Early design work is currently underway.

Under this contract, general contractor Lockheed Martin will provide platform integration support for the missile’s integrated components—launch systems, weapon control systems, All Up Rounds (AUR) complexes, and naval platform.

The company, along with industry partners such as subcontractors Northrop Grumman and General Dynamics Mission Systems, is on track to provide sea-based hypersonic attack capabilities to the fleet by the mid-2020s. It will be remembered that in 2021 it was learned that the USA will receive a mobile hypersonic missile launcher.