US Air Force awards Lockheed Martin $694M hypersonic missile production contract

The U.S. Air Force awarded Lockheed Martin a $694 million contract in late September to produce and field the AGM-183A Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon, moving the hypersonic system beyond its prototype and flight-test phase. ARRW uses a solid-fuel booster to accelerate a glide vehicle to speeds above Mach 5 and is designed for time-sensitive strikes from standoff range against defended targets. The service announced the award in October but did not disclose the number of missiles to be produced or a delivery schedule, citing operational security. The contract follows the Air Force's earlier decision to revive procurement funding for the program.