After combat success, AFSOC wants new Leidos cruise missile on ‘every type’ of platform

An AGM-190A Havoc Spear small cruise missile is deployed from an Air Force Special Operations Command aircraft during a combat evaluation. (Courtesy photo via DVIDS)

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — Air Force special forces are seeking to integrate a new cruise missile built by Leidos on “every type” of platform possible, after the weapon’s use in a live combat operation showed its effectiveness, according to officials.

In a press release published today, Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) revealed that the AGM-190A Havoc Spear cruise missile was used to strike targets in US Africa Command (AFRICOM)’s area of responsibility on an unspecified date. The combat evaluation involved two missiles launched from an AC-130J hitting two separate targets, according to a spokesperson for AFSOC.

“Our ultimate goal is to try to get this on every type of SOF [special operations forces] platform as well as conventional platform possible, in multiple launch modes,” Col. Robert Johnston, AFSOC’s director of strategic plans, programs and requirements, said during a briefing with reporters ahead of the announcement. “The intent really is to have it wide scale as much as possible.”

The 200-pound class Havoc Spear has a range of over 400 nautical miles (460 miles), according to Leidos . Josh Cantera, who works on AFSOC’s requirements staff, said during the briefing that the AGM-190A’s cost per unit in low-rate initial production is roughly $600,000. Work on the weapon kicked off in 2022 via a cooperative research and development agreement with Leidos, Cantera said.

Johnston explained the Havoc Spear was developed in response to a Special Operations Command requirement, but added that the weapon “could nest very well within” an Air Force program dubbed the Family of Affordable Mass Missiles . The FAMM program is aiming to produce thousands of lower-cost munitions to boost the scale of America’s missile arsenal, whose inventory has been depleted amid war with Iran.

“If we can nest it under there, and the Air Force thinks it’s valuable within that FAMM portfolio, now we’re postured to take full advantage of that, and we can now use their resources in order to do more of a bulk buy,” Johnston said.

Special Operations Command awarded Leidos a $27.2 million contract for the Havoc Spear on July 8, according to a Pentagon announcement . Cantera said missiles ordered under that contract should start arriving “around next fall,” and that AFSOC will “be looking to employ them when the time is right.”

One challenge to scaling up, however: A high operational tempo means AFSOC has a limited number of platforms available to do tests with.

“To be quite honest, with current operations, we have to piecemeal what assets we can actually employ and get test dates on,” he said. But the team is “trying for multiple aspects” including “any kind of aerial delivery, whether it be from the back of a [C-]130 of any variant, or whether it be from a pylon of any variant.”

In the near term, AFSOC will be training crews on how to deploy the AGM-190A while working with Leidos to ramp up production, according to Cantera.

“And long term, the Havoc Spear is a very modular missile, and so we can go many different directions with new payloads and new missions,” Cantera said. “But we are not that far yet.”

During a briefing at Air and Space Forces Association conference today, Leidos CTO Doug Jones told reporters that the company’s production facilities in Huntsville., Ala., have the capacity to build up to 15,000 Havoc Spear units per year. The company is also working on non-kinetic and palletized versions of the missile.

Valerie Insinna contributed to this story.

在一次作战评估中，一枚AGM-190A“浩劫之矛”小型巡航导弹从美国空军特种作战司令部的飞机上投放。（图片由DVIDS提供）

马里兰州国家港——据官员称，空军特种部队正在寻求将雷多斯公司制造的新型巡航导弹整合到“所有类型”的平台上，此前该武器在实战行动中的使用证明了其有效性。

美国空军特种作战司令部（AFSOC）今天发布新闻稿称，AGM-190A“浩劫之矛”巡航导弹在未指明的日期对美国非洲司令部（AFRICOM）责任区内的目标进行了打击。AFSOC发言人表示，此次作战评估使用了两枚导弹，分别从一架AC-130J运输机上发射，击中了两个不同的目标。

“我们的最终目标是尽可能让这种武器装备到所有类型的特种作战部队平台以及常规平台上，并支持多种发射模式，”空军特种作战司令部战略计划、项目和需求主管罗伯特·约翰斯顿上校在发布会前与记者举行的简报会上表示。“我们的目的是尽可能地扩大其应用范围。”

据雷多斯公司称，200磅级“浩劫之矛”导弹的射程超过400海里（460英里）。美国空军特种作战司令部需求部门的乔什·坎特拉在简报会上表示，AGM-190A导弹在低速初期生产的单价约为60万美元。坎特拉还表示，该武器的研发工作于2022年启动，是通过与雷多斯公司签署的合作研发协议进行的。

约翰斯顿解释说，“浩劫之矛”导弹是应特种作战司令部的要求而研发的，但他补充说，这种武器“可以很好地融入”空军一项名为“经济型大规模导弹家族”（FAMM）的计划。FAMM计划旨在生产数千枚低成本导弹，以扩充美国的导弹武库规模。由于与伊朗的战争，美国的导弹库存已经消耗殆尽。

约翰斯顿说：“如果我们能把它纳入其中，并且空军认为它在FAMM组合中很有价值，那么我们现在就可以充分利用这一点，并且我们可以利用他们的资源进行更多批量采购。”

据五角大楼7月8日发布的消息，特种作战司令部授予雷多斯公司一份价值2720万美元的“浩劫之矛”导弹合同。坎特拉表示，根据该合同订购的导弹应该会在“明年秋季左右”开始交付，空军特种作战司令部将在“时机成熟时考虑使用这些导弹”。

然而，扩大规模面临一个挑战：高强度的作战节奏意味着 AFSOC 可用于进行测试的平台数量有限。

“坦白说，就目前的行动而言，我们只能零散地安排能够实际使用的资源，并确定测试日期，”他说道。但团队正在“尝试多个方面”，包括“任何类型的空中投放，无论是从任何型号的C-130运输机的尾部投放，还是从任何型号的挂架投放”。

坎特拉表示，近期，AFSOC 将训练机组人员如何部署 AGM-190A，同时与 Leidos 合作提高产量。

坎特拉说：“从长远来看，‘浩劫之矛’是一款模块化程度很高的导弹，因此我们可以搭载新的有效载荷，执行新的任务，朝着许多不同的方向发展。但我们距离那一步还很远。”

在今天举行的美国空军和太空部队协会会议上，雷神公司首席技术官道格·琼斯向记者透露，该公司位于阿拉巴马州亨茨维尔的生产设施每年可生产多达15000枚“浩劫之矛”导弹。该公司还在研发该导弹的非动能版本和托盘式版本。

Valerie Insinna 对本文亦有贡献。