Us Air Force Unveils 12 Billion Missile Program To Counter Growing Threat From China

The United States Air Force has unveiled its five-year plan, which includes a $12 billion investment to procure nearly 28,000 affordable long-range missiles as part of its Family of Affordable Mass Munitions (FAMM) program. The funding request aims at bolstering the service’s arsenal with both expensive projectiles and low-cost options, focusing on preparing for potential large-scale conflicts with China.

The FAMM program is a multi-year effort to acquire affordable munitions to replenish stockpiles and enhance the Air Force’s combat capabilities. It is divided into two main components: one for lugged munitions, carried by fighter and bomber aircraft, and another for palletized munitions, dropped in batches from cargo aircraft.

The Air Force has requested $355 million in the 2027 budget to procure 1,000 missiles as part of the FAMM program. However, the Future Years Defense Program (FYDP) projects significant increases in funding over the next five years:

• 2028: $1.85 billion for 5,300 missiles
• 2029: $2.3 billion for 5,920 missiles
• 2030: $4.03 billion for 7,700 missiles
• 2031: $4.13 billion for 7,990 missiles

The palletized munitions component of the FAMM program is the service’s first priority. The Air Force seeks a missile that can be deployed from cargo aircraft and land-based platforms, with an initial range of 250 to 500 miles.

Future increments of funding could be allocated to extend-range capabilities beyond line-of-sight and long-range kill-chain communications. To achieve this, the Air Force has issued a notice seeking information from industry on an affordable cruise missile capable of traveling more than 1,200 miles to hit slow-moving ships, dubbed FAMM-Beyond Adversary Reach.

The proposed missile should be able to fly at least 537 mph and receive midcourse navigation updates. Contractors are expected to produce 1,000 to 2,000 missiles annually. The project aims to “streamline the battlespace by developing a single, common, air-to-surface munition that is affordable, adaptable, and possesses significant standoff range.”

The FAMM-Beyond Adversary Reach program seeks flexibility in terms of which platforms can launch the potential weapon. The Air Force wants a missile that must be both internally/externally lug-mounted by fighters/bombers and deployed from a cargo pallet or for maritime operations on U.S. Navy ships.

The palletized aspect of the missile’s capabilities closely follows an Air Force experimental program called Rapid Dragon, which dates back to 2019. The program aimed to turn cargo aircraft into weapon delivery systems and has since transitioned to a new program run by the Defense Innovation Unit, dubbed “Franklin,” which aims to develop long-range weapons at $100,000 per round.

Several companies have unveiled their own low-cost missiles, including Anduril’s Barracuda, Lockheed’s Common Multi-Mission Truck, L3Harris’ Red Wolf, Leidos’ Black Arrow, and Zone 5 Technologies’ Rusty Dagger. CoAspire has recently unveiled its entrant into the low-cost cruise missile market, calling it the Rapidly Adaptable Affordable Cruise Missile-Extended Range.

The RAACM-ER can fly 1,200 miles and is built to launch from sea, air, and ground platforms. The development of these affordable long-range missiles is crucial in enhancing the Air Force’s combat capabilities and preparing for potential conflicts with China.

The FAMM program is part of a broader effort across the Pentagon to acquire both expensive projectiles and low-cost options to replenish stockpiles and prepare for a potential large-scale conflict. The funding request aims at bolstering the service’s arsenal and enhancing its ability to strike 100,000 or more targets in a hypothetical conflict.

The Air Force has outlined its plans to spend $12.6 billion over the next five years on FAMM program contracts, with procurement set to start relatively slowly. However, future funding requests are expected to increase significantly, with dramatic increases projected for 2028 and beyond.

As the United States continues to navigate a complex geopolitical landscape, the development of affordable long-range missiles like those under the FAMM program is crucial in enhancing the country’s military capabilities and ensuring its national security interests.

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