The American arms corporation Lockheed Martin announced the Mako multi-mission hypersonic missile, which is a game-changer in modern warfare. This missile can be stored in the F-35 fighter body, making it the first hypersonic missile model launched from this fighter. The introduction of the Mako missile took place at the Sea Air Space 2024 maritime exhibition in Washington, USA.
The Mako missile was jointly manufactured by Lockheed Martin and CoAspire and was developed with internal funds initially for the US Air Force’s Standby Strike Weapon program before being introduced to naval forces. The missile is designed to be versatile and can be integrated with various aircraft models including the F-35, F-22, F-15, F-16, and F/A-18. It enhances the stealth capabilities of the F-35 fighter by providing an affordable price point and high capacity with high survivability.
At the exhibition, a model of the Mako missile was displayed at CoAspire’s booth along with a video showcasing an F-35 aircraft carrying six projectiles. The video demonstrated how versatile this weapon is in combat situations. Although much technical information about the Mako missile has not been disclosed yet except that it is equipped with several guidance systems and has a minimum speed of Mach 5, its potential as a game-changer in modern warfare cannot be overstated.
The US is facing challenges in its hypersonic weapons development program despite having a leading defense capacity. The difficulty is highlighted by failed test launches of the AGM-183A missile under the ARRW program. In response, the US Air Force is focusing efforts on developing new Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missiles while shifting away from further AGM-183A development. Meanwhile, Russia has successfully deployed hypersonic missiles like Kinzhal and Zircon series in conflicts posing challenges to enemy air defenses.
In conclusion, Lockheed Martin’s Mako multi-mission hypersonic missile provides a significant advantage to military forces by combining affordability with high survivability and capacity
