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The U.S. Navy has awarded separate
contracts to Raytheon and
Lockheed Martin to design and build competing prototypes to meet its
requirement for an air-launched, air-breathing hypersonic anti-ship cruise
missile. The Navy's Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) says the deals, which
were formally inked on March 27, together have a total combined value of
approximately $116 million, but it's unclear how much each company received.
The Navy says the missile is key to addressing increasingly advanced naval
threats in contested environments in future major conflicts, such as a
potential one against China in the Pacific. While the service is aiming for
an initial flight test in Fiscal Year 2026, it stresses that the weapon must
be in service by Fiscal Year 2029.
Meanwhile, we took a look back at the rise of China’s J-10
medium-weight, multi-role fighter, which first flew 25 years ago on March 23,
1998. A revolutionary leap in China’s indigenous fighter production
capability, the J-10 remains a staple of China’s air arms. Spurring
innovation in Chinese domestic fighter jet engine technology as well as the
country's domestically produced aircraft sensor and radar capabilities, the
aircraft represents something of a watershed marking the rise of China's
high-technology aviation sector as we know it today. You can read The War Zone’s recent feature on the J-10 and
its impact here.
We are also continuing our rolling coverage of the conflict in Ukraine
as it develops, which can be found at The War Zone. You can also check out highlights of all our
coverage from the last week below.
--
Oliver Parken
The War Zone
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