The global security landscape is evolving rapidly. Peer adversaries are pushing boundaries — geographically, technologically, and strategically. To stay ahead, America and its allies must respond with swift, scalable, and precise solutions. At Lockheed Martin, we’re ready.
Tim Cahill, President, Missiles and Fire Control (MFC) for Lockheed Martin Corporation
We are revolutionizing the way we design, develop, and produce missile systems by harnessing digital engineering, modular designs, and a distributed industrial base. This approach enables us to deliver affordable, cutting-edge solutions to our customers at the speed and scale required to address tomorrow's conflicts. This is not only critical for the United States but also for our European allies, who face similar security challenges and require proven, cutting-edge solutions to stay ahead of emerging threats.
In recent months, I've had the opportunity to meet with customers around the world, and the message is clear: they need systems built quickly, adaptable to mission needs, and backed by a robust supplier network. Whether it's a European ally looking to bolster their defense capabilities and strengthen their industrial base or a partner in the Asia-Pacific region seeking to enhance their security posture, the demand for agile, scalable and responsive systems is universal.
That future is being built right now, in close partnership with our customers.
Rapid Dragon: Agile Capability, Ready Now
Lockheed Martin met with U.S. Air Force stakeholders in 2019 to discuss launching the affordable mass revolution by demonstrating the viability of deploying long-range weapons from air mobility aircraft. By deploying low-cost missiles from airlifters like the C-130, the Air Force could put more missiles—more mass—on target than ever before.
Out of that conversation arose Rapid Dragon. In the first 10 months, we went from concept to first flight, participating in three customer exercises along the way. Since then, we’ve executed four live-fire missions and other exercises with partner nations ranging from Norway to Romania.
One of these demonstrations featured the release of an armed JASSM from a U.S. Air Force MC-130J over the Norwegian Sea, which flew to a designated target zone in the Arctic Circle. This first JASSM live-fire in Europe showed how U.S. and multinational forces can stay ahead of threats using airlifters already in inventory.
Rapid Dragon reflects the kind of agility and innovation our warfighters deserve. Some have suggested that Lockheed Martin isn’t up to the dynamic pace of today’s defense industry. Rapid Dragon proves them wrong/tells the true story.
CMMT: Configurable Capability at the Speed of Relevance
But affordable mass is more than a deployment system. With ever-evolving geo-political landscapes in Europe and the Indo-Pacific, our customers are seeking a new class of low-cost missiles that can be manufactured fast and on demand, so their powder never runs dry in combat.
So even as Rapid Dragon moves toward fielding, Lockheed Martin is developing CMMT™—an all-new, all-digital compact air vehicle that’s built for speed, scale, and adaptability—to go with it.
Built to Weapon Open System Architecture (WOSA) standards, CMMT is a mission-agnostic platform. It can be rapidly reconfigured with swappable seekers, engines and payloads to meet customer mission requirements, including commercial parts. All of which greatly reduces lead time and supports production surges as demand increases.
This is what future-ready looks like.
Transformative Technology, Tangible Results
Delivering affordable mass at scale requires more than hardware, it demands a new operating model as well. Through our 1LMX digital transformation, we’re reimagining how we engineer, produce and sustain advanced systems.
Model-based design is at the core. With our ModSTAR™ and ARISE™ initiatives, we’ve created a digital library of proven missile designs, enabling us to move faster and smarter. These digital threads allow teams to reuse, adapt, and build with confidence — cutting cost, accelerating schedules and increasing system maturity.
CMMT was built on this foundation. By applying common, validated digital designs, we’ve accelerated development and aligned directly with the U.S. Air Force’s M-series modular missile strategy. For example, we reduced the time required to get to a preliminary design review — a major milestone — by 50 percent. This shared digital approach drives agility, interoperability, and affordability across the board.
The Path Forward
Affordable mass isn’t a buzzword. It’s a security imperative.
From Rapid Dragon to CMMT, we’re demonstrating what’s possible when innovation meets execution. We're delivering scalable, survivable, and fieldable capabilities that give our operators the edge, whenever and wherever they need it. And we're doing it in partnership with our European allies, who share our commitment to security, stability, and prosperity.
At Lockheed Martin, our mission is clear: empower our customers with decisive, versatile systems built for the pace of modern conflict. That’s what drives us every day as we help define the next chapter of defense.
Tim Cahill, President, Missiles and Fire Control (MFC) for Lockheed Martin Corporation
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