By Troy Turner
The Department of Defense continues to pursue an arsenal for its strike-anywhere/anytime Conventional Prompt Strike program, and a contract worth up to $1 billion is bringing more work to Huntsville.
Lockheed Martin Space, based in Littleton, Colorado, with significant resources in Alabama, was awarded a contract modification providing a deal to “support program management, engineering development, systems integration, long lead material, and special tooling and equipment in support of missile and launching platform production for Conventional Prompt Strike.”
Work will be performed in Denver, Colorado (49%); Huntsville, Alabama (35%); Sunnyvale, California (5%); Titusville, Florida (2%); various other locations (9% total), according to the DOD, with a contract deadline of Aug. 31, 2028.
The contract carries a “not-to-exceed amount of $1,002,700,000,” with Strategic Systems Programs, Washington, D.C., as the contracting agency.
Lockheed Martin has a strong presence throughout Alabama with several operations producing various space and defense products for the U.S. government.
Huntsville, meanwhile, is one of the nation’s primary research and development sites for space and missile defense advancements, with dozens of military and NASA programs headquartered or stationed in the area.
Front-line strike capability
The Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) program involves a wide range of research and development focused on developing hypersonic weapon capability and diverse service uses with the Navy and Army.
Army funds are being used in the DOD contract announcement made last week, and only a month ago headlines were made when the Navy announced a successful end-to-end flight test of a conventional hypersonic missile from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida.
The test marked the first launch of the CPS capability utilizing the Navy’s cold-gas launch approach that will be used in Navy sea-based platform fielding.
“The cold-gas approach allows the Navy to eject the missile from the platform and achieve a safe distance above the ship prior to first stage ignition,” a Navy official explained.
The CPS program is planning and executing engineering and test efforts to prepare for the first Navy fielding aboard the USS Zumwalt.
The Army’s Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office, in collaboration with the Navy Strategic Systems Programs, in late 2024 completed a successful end-to-end flight test of a conventional hypersonic missile from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida.
“The speed, range, and survivability of hypersonic weapons are key to integrated deterrence for America,” Secretary of the Navy John Phelan said in a DOD release. “When fielded, Conventional Prompt Strike will deliver unmatched capabilities to our warfighters.”
Troy Turner is the editor and senior consultant for AlaDefense.com. He can be contacted at [email protected]. His bio can be found here.
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