# USAF Awards Lockheed Martin Hypersonic Missile Contract

The U.S. Air Force awarded Lockheed Martin a **$694 million** contract to produce the Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW), an air-launched hypersonic missile; the award was announced October 27, 2026. The award is part of a broader Pentagon plan for **$37.9 billion** in hypersonic programs during FY2027–FY2031, including Army plans to field intermediate-range weapons and Navy plans to procure missiles. No open solicitation is identified, but the planned investment signals potential follow-on work in production, testing, and supply chains.

- The Army's FY2027–FY2031 plan allocates $10.1 billion for intermediate-range hypersonic weapons, while the Navy's plan includes $2.1 billion for hypersonic missile procurement.
- Defense contractors and suppliers can use the multiyear funding plans to assess potential production, testing, and supply-chain opportunities; the signals do not identify an active solicitation to pursue now.
- The ARRW award and broader service plans indicate continuing federal investment in hypersonic capabilities, relevant to companies positioned to support missile production and associated program needs.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Defense & Military
**Topics:** Grants & Funding
**Published:** November 06, 2026

### Government Entities
- U.S. Air Force (USAF)
- U.S. Department of Defense (DoD)
- U.S. Army (Army)
- U.S. Navy (Navy)

### Vendors
- Lockheed Martin (awardee)

### Key Quotes
> Russia is in a wartime economy and China is a manufacturing powerhouse. They are able to build these missiles very quickly compared to the US.
> — Ali Javaheri, senior emerging technology analyst at PitchBook

### Sources
- [The US, China, and Russia are racing to develop increasingly advanced hypersonic weapons.

Now, the US Air Force has awarded Lockheed Martin a $694 million contract to produce a new air-launched hypersonic missile.
https://t.co/pK3JKOritK](https://x.com/RFERL/status/2118719799064973779) - twitter-defense