Lockheed Martin positions its new CMMT cruise missile as a cost-effective option for a potential conflict with China.

On February 3, 2025, Lockheed Martin introduced the Common Multi-Mission Truck (CMMT), a subsonic, long-range cruise missile designed for cost-effectiveness, adaptability, and scalability. The system is intended to accelerate development and production timelines in response to the U.S. military's focus on maintaining a large inventory of affordable precision weapons, especially to counter China's increasing military activities. CMMT incorporates modular components, including interchangeable seekers, payloads, and propulsion systems, allowing operational flexibility.
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The Common Multi-Mission Truck (CMMT) is part of Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works division under Project Carrera, which seeks to develop a flexible autonomy framework for integrating crewed and uncrewed aircraft in collaborative operations. (Picture source: Lockheed Martin)

Lockheed Martin is restructuring its internal processes through the 1LMX initiative, its largest modernization effort, to enhance production efficiency, lower costs, and reduce development cycles. The Rapid Dragon program, which validated the feasibility of deploying cruise missiles from palletized transport aircraft, was an early example of this transformation. The CMMT builds on these lessons, prioritizing affordability, rapid production, and adaptability, as the United States is strengthening its inventory of anti-ship and precision-strike weapons to counter Chinese military activities

The Rapid Dragon program, developed with the U.S. Air Force, demonstrated the deployment of long-range standoff munitions from cargo aircraft. Live-fire tests confirmed that palletized munitions could be launched from C-130 and C-17 aircraft, expanding the number of potential strike platforms. The system integrates existing munitions while reducing costs and the need for dedicated strike aircraft. These design principles have influenced the CMMT program, particularly in modularity and cost-efficiency.

Unlike conventional defense programs that assess production feasibility at later stages, Lockheed Martin has involved manufacturing and quality engineers early in CMMT's development. The company employs a distributed production model to allow for rapid scaling, using modular production cells across multiple locations. This approach also reduces supply chain risks by incorporating multiple suppliers.

The Common Multi-Mission Truck (CMMT) is a subsonic, long-range cruise missile with an expected range exceeding 800 km (500 miles). It is priced at approximately $150,000 per unit. According to Scott Callaway, Director of Affordable Mass at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, CMMT is positioned between low-cost standoff glide weapons and more expensive cruise missiles such as the AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM), which costs over $1.5 million per unit. If procured by the U.S. Department of Defense, the production capacity could reach 2,500 units per year to support the U.S. military’s effort to sustain a stockpile of cost-effective weapons for potential conflicts, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region, while managing budget constraints.

The CMMT has two primary configurations. The first is an air-launched variant designed for deployment from U.S. Air Force airlifters, fighters, and bombers, extending strike range. The second is a shorter-range version for rotary-wing aircraft. The system's modularity allows for customization across multiple environments, including maritime strike applications. Lockheed Martin has indicated that CMMT can be deployed in swarms and can integrate varied seeker technologies to optimize targeting efficiency. It is also worth noting that the CMMT is the third missile unveiled by Lockheed Martin in just a few months, following the JASSM-XR and the Mako, highlighting the company's strategic effort to diversify the U.S. armed forces' stockpile.

CMMT is part of Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works division under Project Carrera, which seeks to develop a flexible autonomy framework for integrating crewed and uncrewed aircraft in collaborative operations. The initiative includes the creation of AI-driven control systems for autonomous drones to operate collaboratively with piloted aircraft such as the F-35, rather than serving as supplementary assets. Early testing has included integrating the Speed Racer drone, a modular payload testbed using digital engineering that has influenced the CMMT design approach, with F-35 fighters to refine operational capabilities.

Digital engineering has also allowed Lockheed Martin to reduce the time required to reach the preliminary design review milestone by 50%. Furthermore, Project Carrera builds on previous initiatives, including Skyborg and the X-44A program, which explored AI-driven control systems for uncrewed combat aircraft. In these initiatives, the Skunk Works division tested autonomous drones in combat scenarios, supporting piloted fighters in strike and reconnaissance missions. Early trials have included AI-assisted route planning, sensor integration, and automated threat response.

Project Carrera also incorporates Joint All-Domain Operations (JADO) battlespace multipliers, including Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites for beyond-line-of-sight sensing in contested environments and forward-survivable platforms with enhanced sensor capabilities. Integration with Joint All-Domain Command & Control (JADC2) is a core component, ensuring bi-directional data exchange with command nodes to enhance operational effectiveness. With structured investments of $20 million in crewed and uncrewed assets, $42 million in teaming enablers, and $38 million in battlespace multipliers, Project Carrera is designed to enhance distributed warfare capabilities through networked, AI-enabled systems.

The CMMT has two primary configurations, an air-launched variant designed for deployment from U.S. Air Force airlifters, fighters, and bombers, extending strike range, as well as a shorter-range version for rotary-wing aircraft. (Picture source: Lockheed Martin)