The U.S. Department of War announced a major $1.356 billion contract modification for Lockheed Martin Space.

On March 31, the U.S. Department of War announced a major $1.356 billion contract modification for Lockheed Martin Space, marking a key step toward deploying hypersonic weapons at sea. The funding will support engineering, integration, tooling, and long-lead industrial work required to transition the Conventional Prompt Strike program from development to operational service on the Navy’s Zumwalt-class destroyers. Funding push signals shift toward deployment The latest contract reflects a clear transition in the Conventional Prompt Strike program. Instead of focusing only on testing and validation, the Pentagon is now preparing the system for real-world deployment and long-term sustainment. If the program stays within its budget limits, it is expected to add about $452 million to each of the Navy’s three Zumwalt-class destroyers. This would raise the total cost of each ship to roughly $9.5 billion. The Zumwalt program has long faced criticism for its soaring costs and technical challenges. Originally, each ship was projected to cost between $1.4 billion and $1.6 billion. Due to these issues, plans to build 32 destroyers were dramatically scaled back. In total, 91 percent of the planned production was canceled, leaving only three ships in the class. USS Zumwalt undergoes major redesign The lead ship, USS Zumwalt, recently completed an important milestone. In mid-January, it became the first vessel of its class to conduct sea trials after being reconfigured to carry hypersonic weapons. This followed an extensive refit that began in August 2023. During this process, the ship’s two 155 mm Advanced Gun System turrets were removed. In their place, engineers installed 12 launch tubes designed to carry Conventional Prompt Strike missiles. Before the refit, the USS Zumwalt completed a single operational deployment with the Pacific Fleet in November 2022. That deployment lasted about three months. The lack of further deployments and the quick move into refurbishment suggest that earlier performance did not meet expectations. Global race to arm destroyers with advanced missiles The integration of ballistic and hypersonic missiles onto surface warships is becoming more common worldwide. North Korea has already moved in this direction with its Choi Hyon-class destroyers, which are being produced at a rapid pace. China has also made significant progress. It has repeatedly tested YJ-20 hypersonic anti-ship ballistic missiles from its Type 055 destroyers. These systems are expected to enter operational service around 2026. Recent conflicts have highlighted the growing importance of hypersonic weapons. Russia has used the Oreshnnik ballistic missile with hypersonic glide vehicles in Ukraine. Iran has also demonstrated similar capabilities with its Fattah 2 missiles, reportedly penetrating dense U.S. and Israeli missile defenses during engagements that began on February 28. These developments have increased pressure on the United States to accelerate its own hypersonic programs. How the CPS system delivers long-range strike power The Conventional Prompt Strike missile is derived from the U.S. Army’s Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon program. It uses the same propulsion rocket and the same Common Hypersonic Glide Body. After launch, the missile follows a ballistic trajectory before releasing a glide vehicle. This vehicle then accelerates to hypersonic speeds, traveling at more than five times the speed of sound while maneuvering toward its target. The system combines the range typically associated with nuclear-armed ballistic missiles with the precision of a conventional warhead. This allows naval forces to strike distant targets quickly without using nuclear weapons. However, the missile’s flight profile presents a strategic challenge. Its trajectory can resemble that of nuclear ballistic missiles, which could trigger early warning systems in countries such as China and Russia. As a result, any launch may require advance notification to avoid escalation, as Russia has done before launching its Oreshnnik system. With this latest funding move, the Pentagon is signaling that hypersonic weapons are no longer experimental. They are becoming a central part of future naval warfare.

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