Lessons from Iran — US urgently changes tactics
The Pentagon announced the launch of the GBAM project — the creation of a cheap autonomous ground-launched guided missile costing up to $250,000 per unit. The reason is the shortage of expensive interceptors revealed during the war with Iran. The timeline is tight: demonstration in 60–90 days, serial production in 12–18 months.
The Pentagon announced the launch of a new project, GBAM (Ground-Launched Autonomous Missile), to create a cheap autonomous ground-launched guided missile. The reason is the war with Iran, which revealed a critical US dependence on expensive long-range guided munitions such as Tomahawk cruise missiles. The cost of the new missile should not exceed $250,000 per unit. The timeline is extremely tight: a working prototype must be demonstrated within 60–90 days, and serial production launched within 12–18 months. The project is managed by the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), which announced the GBAM Challenge competition. Participants must submit concepts by August 5. Winners of the first stage will proceed to the second phase: demonstration flights at a test range in early November. Leaders of the second stage may receive up to $5 million for prototype manufacturing. The government has allocated up to $250 million. Technical requirements: range at least 600 nautical miles (about 1100 km), warhead mass 18–50 kg, automatic target recognition, operation under GPS denial. Preference is given to systems without specialized launch equipment. Companies must be able to produce at least 100 units per month. The cost per successful engagement must not exceed $500,000. The GBAM project is part of broader US efforts to create cheap weapons, including the FAMM-BAR program and budget hypersonic missiles.