The Pentagon ordered the production of the U.S. Air Force’s first hypersonic missile, just three years after almost axing the program altogether.
On Monday, the Department of the Air Force announced a $694 million contract with Lockheed Martin for the production and operation of the AGM-183A Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon, the Air Force’s first hypersonic missile. The contract itself was signed on Sept. 29, an Air Force press release said, but was revealed Monday. The contract, which formally shifts the weapon from the prototype and testing stage to production and active use, marks a triumph for Lockheed Martin, as in March 2023, the military had formally moved to scrap the program in favor of RTX and Northrop Grumman’s AHM-4 Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile.
