Overview
- The Pentagon's $1.36 billion contract modification, announced Tuesday, funds production and launch integration for the Conventional Prompt Strike hypersonic weapon.
- The award covers program management, engineering development, systems integration, long-lead materials, testing, and special tooling to build missiles and ship launch gear.
- Work extends through late 2032, follows a $1 billion June 2025 increase, and draws on fiscal 2026 funds from both services, including nearly $200 million from the Army and almost $300 million from the Navy.
- USS Zumwalt is expected to start at-sea CPS tests in 2027 or 2028 after land trials slipped, with the Navy planning to add the system to its two sister destroyers and later to Virginia-class submarines.
- CPS is a boost-glide system that launches a rocket to speed a glide vehicle past Mach 5, which then maneuvers toward the target to shorten reaction time and make interception harder.