Pentagon Launches GBAM Challenge for Cheap Long-Range Strike Weapons
The Pentagon, through the Defense Innovation Unit, has launched the Ground-Based Affordable Mass (GBAM) Challenge to develop low-cost long-range precision strike weapons, citing munition shortages from the Iran war. The initiative seeks weapons costing under $250,000 each, with a range of at least 600 nautical miles, a 35-100 pound payload, autonomous terminal guidance, and GPS-denied operation. Winning teams receive $250,000 prizes, with up to $5 million for test quantities, and a total budget of $250 million. The goal is to supplement expensive munitions like Tomahawks with affordable, mass-producible alternatives.
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Pentagon Seeks Cheap Long-Range Strike Weapons with Rapid Testing Timeline
The Pentagon, through the Defense Innovation Unit, has launched the Ground-Based Affordable Mass (GBAM) Challenge to develop long-range, autonomously guided weapons costing less than $250,000 each. The initiative aims to supplement expensive smart munitions like the Tomahawk missile, whose high cost has been exposed as a vulnerability during the Iran war. The Pentagon requires demonstration-ready prototypes within 60 to 90 days and full-scale production within 12 to 18 months. The weapons must have a range of at least 600 nautical miles, a payload of 35-100 pounds, and operate in GPS-denied environments. Winning teams receive $250,000 cash prizes, with top contenders eligible for up to $5 million for operational test quantities. The total budget for prize execution and follow-on activities is up to $250 million. The program aligns with broader U.S. military efforts to field low-cost autonomous capabilities at scale.
Pentagon calls for cheaper long-range strike weapons, with testing in just 3 months
The Pentagon, facing depleted guided munitions stocks due to the Iran war, has launched the Ground-Based Affordable Mass (GBAM) initiative to develop low-cost long-range precision strike weapons. The Defense Innovation Unit's GBAM Challenge seeks proposals for autonomously guided munitions costing under $250,000 each, with a demonstration required within 60-90 days and full-scale production within 12-18 months. Requirements include a range of at least 600 nautical miles, a payload of 35-100 pounds, autonomous target recognition, and operation in GPS-denied environments. Winning teams receive $250,000 cash prizes, with up to $5 million for operational test quantities and a total budget of $250 million for the program. The initiative aims to supplement expensive smart munitions like Tomahawk missiles and sustain operational tempo in prolonged conflicts.
Pentagon Seeks Cheap Long-Range Strike Weapons with 3-Month Testing Timeline
The Pentagon, facing depleted expensive guided munitions due to the Iran war, has launched the Ground-Based Affordable Mass (GBAM) initiative to develop low-cost, long-range strike weapons. The Defense Innovation Unit's GBAM Challenge seeks proposals for autonomously guided weapons costing under $250,000 each, with a flight demonstration required within three months and full-scale production within 18 months. The weapons must have a range of at least 600 nautical miles, a payload of 35-100 pounds, and operate in GPS-denied environments. Winning teams receive $250,000 cash prizes, with top contenders eligible for up to $5 million for operational test quantities. The total budget for the program is up to $250 million. The initiative aims to supplement expensive smart munitions like Tomahawk missiles with affordable, mass-producible alternatives to sustain operational tempo in prolonged conflicts.
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Pentagon Launches GBAM Challenge for Cheap Long-Range Strike Weapons
The Pentagon, through the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), has announced the Ground-Based Affordable Mass (GBAM) Challenge to develop low-cost, long-range precision strike weapons. Citing the Iran war as exposing the problem of relying on expensive missiles like the Tomahawk, the Pentagon seeks weapons costing less than $250,000 each, with a range of at least 600 nautical miles and a payload of 35-100 pounds. The initiative requires demonstration within 60-90 days and full-scale production within 12-18 months. Winning teams will receive a $250,000 cash prize for Phase II flight demonstrations in November 2026, with top contenders eligible for up to $5 million for operational test quantities. The government has budgeted up to $250 million for the program. The weapon must feature autonomous terminal guidance, operate in GPS-denied environments, and require no proprietary launch equipment. The GBAM initiative aims to supplement expensive smart munitions with affordable, scalable long-range effects to sustain operational tempo in prolonged conflicts.
Pentagon Seeks Cheap Long-Range Strike Weapons with 3-Month Testing Timeline
The Pentagon, through the Defense Innovation Unit, has launched the Ground-Based Affordable Mass (GBAM) Challenge to develop low-cost, long-range precision strike weapons. Citing the Iran war as exposing the problem of relying on expensive missiles like Tomahawks, the DoD wants weapons costing under $250,000 each, with a flight demonstration within 60-90 days and full-scale production within 12-18 months. The weapons must have a range of at least 600 nautical miles, a payload of 35-100 pounds, autonomous terminal guidance, and GPS-denied operation capability. The DIU has budgeted up to $250 million for the program, with winning teams receiving $250,000 cash prizes and potential follow-on contracts up to $5 million. The initiative aims to supplement expensive smart munitions with affordable, mass-producible systems to sustain operational tempo in prolonged conflicts.
Pentagon Seeks Cheap Long-Range Strike Weapons with Rapid Demonstration Timeline
The Pentagon, through the Defense Innovation Unit, has launched the Ground-Based Affordable Mass (GBAM) Challenge to develop low-cost long-range precision strike weapons. Citing the Iran war as exposing the problem of relying on expensive missiles like Tomahawks, the Pentagon wants weapons costing less than $250,000 each, with a flight demonstration within 60-90 days and full-scale production within 12-18 months. The weapons must have a range of at least 600 nautical miles, a payload of 35-100 pounds, autonomous terminal guidance, and function in GPS-denied environments. Winning teams receive $250,000 cash prizes, with top contenders eligible for up to $5 million for operational test quantities. The government has budgeted up to $250 million for the program. The initiative aims to supplement expensive smart munitions with affordable, scalable long-range effects to sustain operational tempo in prolonged conflicts.
Pentagon seeks cheap long-range strike weapons with rapid testing timeline
The Pentagon, through the Defense Innovation Unit, has launched the Ground-Based Affordable Mass (GBAM) Challenge to develop low-cost, long-range precision strike weapons. Citing the Iran war as exposing the problem of relying on expensive missiles like Tomahawks, the Pentagon wants weapons costing less than $250,000 each, with a range of at least 600 nautical miles and a payload of 35-100 pounds. The weapons must be ready for demonstration within 60-90 days and full-scale production within 12-18 months. The GBAM initiative aims to supplement expensive smart munitions with affordable, scalable long-range effects. Winning teams receive $250,000 cash prizes, with top contenders eligible for up to $5 million and potential follow-on contracts. The government has budgeted up to $250 million for the program. The weapon must feature autonomous terminal guidance, operate in GPS-denied environments, and require no proprietary launch equipment.
Pentagon Seeks Cheap Long-Range Strike Weapons with Three-Month Testing Timeline
The Pentagon, facing depleted inventories of expensive guided munitions due to the Iran war, has launched the Ground-Based Affordable Mass (GBAM) initiative to develop low-cost, long-range strike weapons. The Defense Innovation Unit is running a challenge seeking proposals for autonomously guided, ground-launched weapons costing less than $250,000 each. The Pentagon demands a flight demonstration within 60-90 days and full-scale production within 12-18 months. The weapon must have a range of at least 600 nautical miles, a payload of 35-100 pounds, and operate in GPS-denied environments. Winning teams receive a $250,000 prize, with up to $5 million for operational test quantities. The total budget for the effort is up to $250 million. The program aims to supplement expensive precision munitions with affordable, mass-producible systems to sustain operational tempo in prolonged conflicts.
Pentagon Seeks Cheap Long-Range Strike Weapons with Three-Month Testing Timeline
The Pentagon, facing a depletion of expensive guided munitions due to the Iran war, has launched the Ground-Based Affordable Mass (GBAM) initiative to develop low-cost, long-range precision strike weapons. The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) is running a challenge for weapons costing under $250,000 each, with a demonstration required within 60-90 days and full-scale production within 12-18 months. The weapons must have a range of at least 600 nautical miles, a payload of 35-100 pounds, autonomous guidance, and resistance to jamming and GPS denial. The program has a total budget of up to $250 million for prize execution and follow-on contracts. Winning teams will receive cash prizes and potential production contracts, with the goal of supplementing expensive smart munitions and sustaining operational tempo in prolonged conflicts.
Pentagon Seeks Cheap Long-Range Strike Weapons with Rapid Testing Timeline
The Pentagon, facing depleted stocks of expensive guided munitions due to the Iran war, has launched the Ground-Based Affordable Mass (GBAM) initiative to develop low-cost, long-range precision strike weapons. The Defense Innovation Unit's GBAM Challenge seeks proposals for autonomously guided weapons costing under $250,000 each, with a range of at least 600 nautical miles and a payload of 35-100 pounds. The Pentagon demands a flight demonstration within 60-90 days and full-scale production within 12-18 months. Winning teams receive a $250,000 prize, with top contenders eligible for up to $5 million for operational test quantities. The government has budgeted up to $250 million for the program. The weapon must function in GPS-denied environments, require no proprietary launch equipment, and have a path to producing 100+ systems monthly. This effort parallels other cost-saving programs like the Family of Affordable Mass Missiles (FAMM-BAR).
Pentagon Seeks Cheap Long-Range Strike Weapons, Demands Testing in 3 Months
The Pentagon, facing depleted stocks of expensive guided munitions due to the Iran war, has launched the Ground-Based Affordable Mass (GBAM) initiative to develop low-cost, long-range strike weapons. The Defense Innovation Unit's GBAM Challenge seeks proposals for autonomously guided weapons costing under $250,000 each, with a flight demonstration required within 60-90 days and full-scale production within 12-18 months. The weapon must have a range of at least 600 nautical miles, a payload of 35-100 pounds, and operate in GPS-denied environments. Winning teams receive $250,000 cash prizes, with up to $5 million for operational test quantities. The government has budgeted up to $250 million for the program. The initiative aims to supplement expensive smart munitions with affordable, mass-producible systems to sustain prolonged conflict operations.
Pentagon calls for cheaper long-range strike weapons, with testing in just 3 months
The Pentagon, through the Defense Innovation Unit, has launched the Ground-Based Affordable Mass (GBAM) Challenge to develop low-cost, long-range precision strike weapons. Citing the Iran war as exposing the vulnerability of relying on expensive munitions like Tomahawk missiles, the initiative seeks autonomously guided ground-launched weapons costing under $250,000 each. The timeline is aggressive: demonstration within 60-90 days and full-scale production within 12-18 months. The weapon must have a range of at least 600 nautical miles, a payload of 35-100 pounds, and operate in GPS-denied environments. The government has budgeted up to $250 million for the program. Winning teams will receive cash prizes and potential production contracts. The effort aims to supplement expensive smart munitions with affordable, mass-producible alternatives to sustain prolonged conflict.
Pentagon launches GBAM Challenge for cheap long-range strike weapons with 3-month testing timeline
The Pentagon, facing depleted expensive guided munitions due to the Iran war, has launched the Ground-Based Affordable Mass (GBAM) Challenge through the Defense Innovation Unit. The program seeks low-cost, autonomously guided long-range strike weapons costing under $250,000 each, with flight demonstrations required within 60-90 days and full-scale production within 12-18 months. The weapons must have a range of at least 600 nautical miles, carry a 35-100 pound payload, operate in GPS-denied environments, and be producible at 100+ units per month. Winning teams receive $250,000 cash prizes, with up to $5 million for operational test quantities and a total budget of $250 million for the program. The initiative aims to supplement expensive precision munitions like Tomahawk missiles with affordable mass-produced alternatives to sustain prolonged conflict operations.
Pentagon launches GBAM challenge for cheap long-range strike weapons with 3-month demo timeline
The Pentagon, facing munition shortages exacerbated by the Iran war, has launched the Ground-Based Affordable Mass (GBAM) initiative to develop long-range precision strike weapons costing under $250,000 each. The Defense Innovation Unit's GBAM Challenge requires demonstration-ready systems within 60-90 days and full-scale production within 18 months. The weapon must have a range of at least 600 nautical miles, a 35-100 pound payload, autonomous terminal guidance, and GPS-denied operation capability. Winning teams receive $250,000 cash prizes, with up to $5 million for operational test quantities and a total $250 million budget for the program. The initiative aims to supplement expensive munitions like Tomahawk missiles with affordable, mass-producible alternatives to sustain operational tempo in prolonged conflicts.