Leidos has secured an agreement with the US Department of Defense to deliver 3,000 low-cost containerized cruise missiles under a broader Pentagon initiative aimed at rapidly expanding precision-strike inventories.
The deal centers on the company’s Low-Cost Containerized Munition (LCCM), a modular ground-launched cruise missile designed for scalable production using commercial manufacturing approaches. The program is intended to strengthen US strike capacity while reducing the cost and complexity associated with conventional cruise missile systems.
According to Leidos, the missile is being developed in line with fast-track acquisition priorities and is internally funded during its initial development stages. Derived from the AGM-190A Small Cruise Missile program, the LCCM is approximately double the size of its predecessor and incorporates increased fuel storage to achieve longer-range performance.
Manufacturing and development work will take place at Leidos facilities in Huntsville, Alabama, and McEwen, Tennessee. The company plans to complete system testing and full development ahead of production scheduled for 2027, while also exploring naval and air-launched versions of the missile in the future.
The initiative is part of the Pentagon’s “Arsenal of Freedom” strategy, which seeks to field large quantities of low-cost, containerized, and quickly deployable strike systems capable of replenishing munitions stockpiles more efficiently than traditional cruise missile programs.
As part of the broader LCCM effort, the Pentagon recently signed framework agreements with Leidos, Anduril Industries, CoAspire, and Zone 5 Technologies to support procurement of more than 10,000 container-launched missiles over three years beginning in 2027.
Separately, the US Air Force accelerated development of low-cost strike weapons through the Extended Range Attack Munition program in late 2024, awarding contracts to CoAspire and Zone 5 Technologies, with early flight demonstrations conducted within months of the awards.
