Thu, Mar 06, 2025
VTO Cruise Missile For Company To Brigade Level Elements
The U.S. Army’s Application Laboratory chose defense manufacturing company Mach Industries to develop its Strategic Strike, a vertical takeoff (VTO) cruise missile that provides a precision strike capability for maneuver units at the company through brigade level.
The contract was awarded in Q3 2024 and Mach proceeded rapidly with the development, locking in the design by the end of September 2024. The company has successfully tested the vehicle’s vertical takeoff and transition into full wing-borne flight by mid-January 2025.
The company calls the vehicle the Viper but the Army contract refers to it as Strategic Strike. Work is currently underway on the integration of AI visual and RF sensing tech to permit Strategic Strike’s operations in GPS- and comms-denied environments.
The Strategic Strike has an effective range of 180 mi or 290 km carrying a 25 lb or 10+ kg warhead. The blending of VTO, high speed, and range/payload is an extreme departure from current capabilities. The company says that when the weapon system is fully developed it will represent the warfighter with an asset capable of VTO, HIMARS range, cruise missile speed of approximately 550 mph or 885 kph, and Hellfire effects.
The primary mission for Strategic Strike is to be launched from beyond enemy radar range to reduce the likelihood of detection and increasing survivability for the launch unit. Tactical maneuver units will be able to engage high-payoff targets such as radar arrays and artillery emplacements well beyond the forward line of troops.
Ethan Thornton, CEO and Founder of Mach Industries said, “I’m deeply grateful for this opportunity to deliver a war-changing capability to our military, and impressed by the engineering and manufacturing team’s hard work–taking Strategic Strike from design kickoff in September to flight just 14 weeks later.
“I truly think the product team we’ve assembled here will drive generational value to the U.S. at this critical time, and I’m excited every day to see the rate of product development continue to accelerate. The entire Mach team is eagerly awaiting the day when the factory we’re prototyping Strategic Strike in turns on production and deploys them by the thousands to deter wars.”
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