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Lockheed Martin Looks to Upend Cruise Missile Market With $150K CMMT
In a market where cruise missiles often carry a seven-figure price tag, Lockheed Martin is betting on a new concept: “affordable mass.”
The Common Multi-Mission Truck (CMMT) was unveiled earlier this month as a modular, multirole cruise missile that could cost $150,000 per unit, or, in other words, about one-tenth (or less) that of a cruise missile today.
For reference, in January 2024, Japan signed a $1.7 billion USD contract for up to 400 Tomahawk Block-IV and Block-V cruise missiles – i.e., $4.25 million USD a missile.
Granted, the Tomahawk Block-IV and Block-V provide ranges exceeding 1,500 km. However, with Lockheed Martin working to achieve a reach of “multiple hundreds of miles,” the CMMT could deliver far more than one would perceive from its price point.
In fact, a reach of even 25% at less than 5% of the cost of the Tomahawk would be a major achievement.
The Goal
The CMMT is Lockheed Martin’s proposal for the U.S. Air Force’s (USAF) Project Franklin, an initiative aimed at providing low-cost, scalable long-range strike munitions.
Seeing the value guided stand-off weapons (SOW), notably rockets and cruise missiles, have shown during the Russia-Ukraine War, the USAF envisions a future where it will need large – and, as importantly, rapidly replenishing – stockpiles of such munitions.
That flexibility would allow the USAF to, for example, overwhelm enemy defences with high-volumes of strikes. It can saturate air defence systems and increase the likelihood of destroying a wide assortment of targets, from high-value targets like key installations down to specific vehicles.
One example is the USAF’s “Rapid Dragon” concept where it plans using a single C-130 to drop up to 100 CMMTs via four pallets in a mass-salvo attack.
In a sense, the idea behind Project Franklin is to escape the adage of using a multi-million-dollar munition to neutralize a target that was built for much less. The CMMT is meant to bridge the gap so that advanced targeting and long-range strike can be used relatively liberally. And, in another sense, it builds on the idea of loitering munitions; i.e., using a relatively low-cost munition to destroy high-value targets.
It also builds on one of the major problems Ukraine kept facing during the war; SOW stockpiles, especially cruise missiles, can deplete very quickly. Thus, the CMMT is, by both technical and production design, meant to solve the munition bottleneck problem across both cost and availability. It is meant to be relatively cheap and quick to produce.
Evolution of Project “Speed Racer”
The CMMT (pronounced “comet”) emerged from Lockheed Martin’s internal R&D efforts at its Skunk Works division. Specifically, it draws on Lockheed’s earlier work under the “Speed Racer” project, which was an experimental initiative designed to test digital engineering techniques and advanced manufacturing processes.
In 2023, Lockheed Martin began developing the CMMT using its own funds, aiming to create a versatile, modular cruise missile capable of being rapidly adapted for various mission profiles.
Currently, the CMMT is actively undergoing testing.
Lockheed Martin has already completed captive-carry tests from an F-16 fighter jet and conducted powered flight tests from a C-130 aircraft as part of the U.S. Air Force’s Rapid Dragon palletized munitions program.
These tests mark significant milestones in demonstrating the missile’s flexibility across multiple launch platforms, including fighters, bombers, cargo aircraft, helicopters, and ground-based launchers.
Lockheed Martin is positioning the CMMT as a candidate for USAF’s Franklin program, which seeks long-range strike weapons priced at or below $150,000 per unit.
Currently, two primary configurations of the CMMT are planned:
The first configuration will be an air-launched variant intended for use from USAF fighter, bomber, and transport aircraft. This version will also be compact enough to fit in the internal weapons bay of a F-35.
The second configuration of the CMMT will be a smaller version meant for rotary-wing platforms. Lockheed Martin also intends to leverage the same variant for use from land platforms, like the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS).
How is Lockheed Martin Controlling the Cost?
Lockheed Martin is leveraging several strategies, processes, and technologies to control the CMMT’s costs and, in turn, stay below the $150,000 per unit price point.
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