The Army and Navy announced over $1.2 billion in new missile and drone acquisitions, including Blackbeard hypersonic missiles and the next-generation Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) Increment 2, according to a Military.com report published Oct. 5, 2026.
The Navy made a production delivery order in mid-September to deliver $200 million worth of Blackbeard hypersonic missiles. The Army signed a contract worth up to $1.2 billion with Lockheed Martin to push PrSM Increment 2 into production.
The announcements follow a developmental test flight on Sept. 18, during which a pair of Blackbeard hypersonic missiles were mounted on a Super Hornet. The test was another step in the program’s progression to Early Operational Capability (EOC), according to the report.
In a separate development, the 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command hosted the Pacific Simulation for Integrated Air and Missile Defense Modernization (PACSIM) event at the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) Flight Center from Sept. 21-26, 2026. The event brought together air and missile defense professionals from the U.S., Japanese, and Australian militaries to examine defense concepts, identify challenges, and explore ways to improve integration between the three nations.
Using constructive simulation data provided by Raytheon Aerospace and Defense Company and the 94th AAMDC, participants worked through sandbox scenarios to improve understanding of modernized integrated air and missile defense (IAMD) capabilities and inform future planning.
“This year’s PACSIM event invited a trilateral audience to better understand modernized Army IAMD capabilities through the use of a simulation tool,” said Maj. Hazumu Yano, the PACSIM event facilitator assigned to the 94th AAMDC. “As the United States fields new systems, it will be important for our allies in the Pacific to know how we intend to employ these capabilities.”
Brig. Gen. William Parker, the 94th AAMDC commanding general, addressed participants during PACSIM and highlighted the importance of advancing air and missile defense capabilities while preparing Soldiers to employ them.
“At the end of the day, we may fight with technology, but people win the fight,” said Parker. “What we choose to do with that technology will determine what that outcome looks like.”
Sources: DVIDS News · DVIDS News