The US Department of Defense has moved forward with plans to procure 3,000 low-cost containerized cruise missiles from Leidos under the broader Low-Cost Containerized Munition initiative aimed at increasing America’s long-range strike inventory. The agreement centers on Leidos’ LCCM cruise missile, a modular ground-launched weapon derived from the company’s AGM-190A Small Cruise Missile program but redesigned with greater fuel capacity and extended operational range. Production and development work will take place at Leidos facilities in Huntsville, Alabama, and McEwen, Tennessee, with testing expected to conclude before manufacturing begins in 2027. The effort forms part of the Pentagon’s “Arsenal of Freedom” strategy, which seeks to mass-produce affordable strike weapons capable of rapid deployment while reducing dependence on expensive traditional cruise missile systems. The wider initiative includes additional contracts awarded to companies such as Anduril, CoAspire, and Zone 5 Technologies as the US military attempts to scale production of more than 10,000 container-launched missiles over a three-year period.
