The US Department of Defense has initiated plans to procure 3,000 low-cost containerized cruise missiles from Leidos as part of a wider strategy to expand scalable strike capabilities through mass production.
The agreement covers Leidos’ Low-Cost Containerized Munition (LCCM), a ground-launched cruise missile designed around modular architecture and commercial-style manufacturing processes to rapidly increase US long-range strike capacity.
Leidos stated that the LCCM program aligns with the Pentagon’s accelerated acquisition priorities and is currently being funded internally during the early development phase. The system builds upon technologies developed under the company’s AGM-190A Small Cruise Missile initiative. Compared to the AGM-190A, the LCCM is roughly twice as large and incorporates greater fuel capacity to support extended operational range.
Production activities will be centered at Leidos facilities in Huntsville, Alabama, and McEwen, Tennessee. The company expects full system design, development, and testing to conclude before production begins in 2027. Future variants are also being considered for maritime and air-launch applications.
The procurement effort forms part of the broader “Arsenal of Freedom” initiative, which focuses on developing affordable, containerized, and rapidly deployable strike systems to increase munitions stockpiles while reducing dependence on traditional high-cost cruise missiles.
In May, the Pentagon signed framework agreements with Leidos, Anduril Industries, CoAspire, and Zone 5 Technologies under the LCCM initiative. The program aims to procure more than 10,000 container-launched missiles over a three-year period beginning in 2027.
Earlier, in October 2024, the US Air Force advanced a related effort through the Extended Range Attack Munition program, awarding contracts to CoAspire and Zone 5 Technologies for the development of low-cost air-launched strike weapons, with flight testing completed only months after contract award.
