Here's a move that points to more than routine procurement activity. . .A significant risk in employing the missile, however, is that its flight characteristics will alert the strategic early warning radar systems of China and Russia, meaning the United States will likely need to notify both if making a launch, much like Russia has notified Washington and Beijing when launching its Oreshnik missile.

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The Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) program is a US Navy-led effort developing hypersonic boost-glide missiles to deliver conventional warheads globally within one hour, bypassing defenses at speeds exceeding Mach 5

Challenges: The program faces technical hurdles, high costs, and the risk that adversaries might mistake a conventional launch for a nuclear attack.

Funding: The Navy requested $798.3 million for RDT&E in its FY2026 budget to support ongoing development.

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Defense - The Lockheed Martin has received a $1.36 billion contract modification from the United States Navy to support the development and...

Apr

U.S. Advances USS Zumwalt Destroyer Hypersonic Strike Role With $1.356B Conventional Prompt Strike Award

On March 31, 2026, the U.S. Department of War announced a $1.356 billion contract modification for Lockheed Martin Space tied to the Conventional Prompt Strike program, a move that points to more than routine procurement activity.

The award shows that the Pentagon is financing the engineering, integration, tooling, and long-lead industrial effort needed to carry CPS from development into practical naval fielding.

The announcement matters because CPS is set to give the U.S. Navy its first sea-based conventional hypersonic strike capability.
It also sharpens the military purpose of the Zumwalt class, whose future role is now increasingly tied to high-end maritime strike.

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The U.S. Navy’s $1.356 billion Conventional Prompt Strike award to Lockheed Martin Space signals a shift from hypersonic testing to full-scale integration and production, positioning the USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000) as the service’s first operational sea-based hypersonic strike platform (Picture Source: U.S. Navy)

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