- The Pentagon has initiated the production phase of its Family of Affordable Mass Missiles
- FAMM emerged in late 2025, to provide air-launched cruise missiles at a fraction of the cost of current exquisite weapons
- Anduril, CoAspire and Zero 5 will build lugged and palletised munition variants to be launched from fighter jets and dropped by transport aircraft
The US Department of War has set up three framework agreements with contractors to rapidly validate a new family of low-cost, air-launched cruise missiles, with initial deliveries beginning in 2027.
Anduril, CoAspire and Zero 5 will begin to validate their respective weapons, namely the Barracuda-500, the Rapidly Adaptable Affordable Cruise Missile (RAACM) and the Rusty Dagger respectively.
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The Pentagon will provide funds annually for the next seven years (subject to congressional approval).
These new munitions – which take the form of two variants, lugged and palletised – will now enter the production phase under an existing programme of record known as the Family of Affordable Mass Missiles (FAMM).
Each round comprises a 100lb warhead and a stand-off range exceeding 500 nautical miles.
Stockpiles dwindle
In the past, the US military has focused on the acquisition of sophisticated and exquisite cruise missiles like the Joint Air to Surface Stand-off Missile (JASSM), which costs $1.3m per unit. Now the service wants a cheaper arsenal, closer to $218,000 per round.
The ongoing US strikes against Iran have revealed a growing deficit between missile production time and the rate of consumption, compelling the US Air Force to scale down its expenditure of advanced missiles for laser-guided Joint Direct Attack Munitions after only seven days of the conflict.
FAMM was set up in the months before the war, in late 2025, to overcome this issue. The programme of record first appeared in the Air Force’s fiscal 2026 budget request to fund prototyping of low-cost seekers, engines and collaborative autonomy.
In April 2026, the Air Force pledged $12.6bn for 28,000 missiles in its fiscal 2027 budget.
Acquisition changes
FAMM is one of the first programmes that have emerged from the DoW’s new acquisition protocols introduced toward the end of last year, which now prioritises rapid development cycles and introduces incentives for contractors.
Companies that meet or exceed production schedules, for example, will be eligible for additional procurement quantities – pending congressional appropriations.
“The Arsenal of Freedom of the 21st Century requires doing business differently,” said Michael P. Duffey, the under secretary of war for acquisition and sustainment.
