The US Air Force has reached framework agreements with Anduril, CoAspire, and Zone 5 Technologies to buy thousands of affordable cruise missiles. The move is part of the Family of Affordable Mass Missiles program, which aims to provide low-cost weapons that can do the work of more expensive munitions.
The Air Force is seeking missiles that cost around $218,000 per round, significantly cheaper than the $1.3 million Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles. The FAMM program has two variants: a lugged variant carried by fighters and bombers, and a palletized variant dropped from airlifters, both with ranges of 250 to 500 miles.
The agreements are expected to lead to the production of up to 8,000 FAMM rounds a year, with budget projections calling for 28,000 missiles across all vendors over five years for $12.6 billion. The deals are part of the Pentagon's push to buy weapons faster and from nontraditional suppliers.
