Lockheed Martin Unveils Next-Gen Hypersonic Ground System for US Army Dominance
Today, Lockheed Martin commemorated alongside the U.S. Army the shipment of vital ground apparatus for its Long Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) system – an integral part of a swift, multi-year hypersonic weaponry development initiative that aligns with the Army’s commitment to long-range precision strike capabilities.
“With this delivery, we’ve made another significant advance in enhancing this capability to bolster the U.S. Army’s long-range precision fire strategy for joint all-domain operations,” stated Eric Scherff, vice president for Hypersonic Strike Programs at Lockheed Martin Space. “We’re realizing exceptional efficiencies by supporting this initiative alongside the U.S. Navy’s Conventional Prompt Strike hypersonic program through employing a unified missile system. We’ve made substantial investments in creating digital manufacturing facilities across the organization that leverage cutting-edge materials and precision technologies crucial for hypersonic strike missions, and introducing this digital manufacturing approach to hypersonics results in reduced delivery timelines and enhanced cost-effectiveness.”
During a ceremony held at Joint Base Lewis-McChord today, the U.S. Army and industry collaborators celebrated the arrival of ground apparatus, which includes the battery operations center and four transporter erector launchers. The overall system is being designed collaboratively with the U.S. Army’s Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office and its Hypersonic Project Office. Led by Lockheed Martin, other industry partners include Dynetics, General Atomics, General Dynamics, i3, Moog, Northrop Grumman, Penta Research, Raytheon, and Verity Integrated Systems.
The Lockheed Martin LRHW agreement was initially awarded in 2019. Upcoming flight evaluations are scheduled for fiscal year 2022-2023, with the program remaining on target.
This week, Lockheed Martin inaugurated a cutting-edge, advanced hypersonic manufacturing facility at its site in Courtland, Alabama. Engineered and built with the most recent digital innovations, production at this site will concentrate on generating a substantial portion of the company’s hypersonic portfolio, including LRHW.
Hypersonic weapons represent a crucial component of the long-range precision fire modernization strategy for the Army and a national security framework to compete with and surpass prospective foes. Lockheed Martin stands as a prominent leader in the field of hypersonic strike technology, and our expertise also serves as a foundation for hypersonic defense systems.
