What Happened
Defense Department Expands Munitions Industrial Base with Innovative Contracts
The Defense Department has signed new agreements with four companies, including Anduril, CoAspire, Leidos, and Zone 5, to develop and deploy cruise missiles. The Low-Cost Containerized Missiles program aims to rapidly field more missiles, with initial testing and experimentation set to begin this spring. Production is expected to start in 2027, with the DOD planning to order at least 500 missiles annually under a two-year base contract. This effort is part of the DOD’s Acquisition Transformation Strategy to buy and field systems faster, as reported by Washington Technology.