UN unveils vertical-takeoff cruise missile

On March 4, Mach Industries, a California-based US aerospace firm, announced that it is developing a vertical-takeoff cruise missile demonstrator for the U.S. Army’s experimental Strategic Strike program.  

The missile concept aims to revolutionize the striking capabilities of the Army’s company- or battalion-sized maneuver units, Caliber.Az reports, citing an American defence magazine. 

Instead of relying on traditional short-range weapons such as mortars and towed howitzers, the Strategic Strike missile would provide small units with a weapon capable of reaching distances of up to 290 km (180 mi.),

Company officials emphasized that this range is dictated by policy rather than the missile’s inherent turbojet-powered performance.  

“I truly think the product team we’ve assembled here will drive generational value to the U.S. at this critical time,” said Thornton, who, at 21, secured a seed investment from Sequoia Capital in 2023.  

The concept envisions the Strategic Strike missile as an affordable option when procured in volume, with a unit price comparable to short-range guided rockets like the Army’s Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System, according to Thornton.

“It's low-cost enough to use like you would rocket-based artillery at very, very, very high volumes,” he added.  

For deployment, the Army would need to extend its command-and-control systems for long-range fires down to the small unit level, rather than limiting such capabilities to brigade or division formations. The Strategic Strike concept aims to equip small maneuver units with the ability to target emerging threats, including long-range Iranian Shahed and Russian Gerat one-way attack munitions.

By Khagan Isayev