Air Force looking to develop Counter-Air Missile Program

The Air Force is looking to build a system to defeat airborne missiles, starting with ground-to-air capabilities that could later expand to air-to-air capabilities, according to a recent notice.

The Counter-Air Missile Program aims to develop and demonstrate “an affordable, open system, modular, and highly producible ground-launched capability,” the request for white papers states. “Ground-launch efforts will serve as a risk reduction effort expediting missile design maturation and evaluation for future affordable air-to-air missile capabilities.”

The program is starting with money from the $150 billion reconciliation package passed over the summer, as the government has “identified a need” for such capabilities as a future part of the Affordable Mass Munitions portfolio.

The CAMP prototype should use systems with high technology readiness levels to be able to complete a first flight test within nine months to demonstrate vehicle ground-launch, range and speed, according to the post.

The Air Force is prioritizing “affordability and producibility” over exquisite capabilities and wants deliveries of 1,000 to 3,500 all-up rounds per year for less than $500,000 each in full-rate production.

The air-to-air system will be part of CAMP’s phase 2, but the Air Force is currently requesting white papers relating to the phase 1 ground-to-air system. Submissions are due Dec. 2.