US Navy awards $99 million contract for USS Lyndon B. Johnson hypersonic upgrades

The U.S. Navy has awarded a $99 million contract modification to Ingalls Shipbuilding, a subsidiary of HII, to conduct sea trials for the Zumwalt-class destroyer USS Lyndon B. Johnson (DDG 1002).

The project involves integrating the Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) weapon system, which will make the vessel the Navy’s second platform equipped with this technology. The CPS is a boost-glide hypersonic weapon designed to penetrate sophisticated air defenses by utilizing a Common Hypersonic Glide Body to strike high-value, time-sensitive targets at speeds exceeding Mach 5.

This upgrade marks a strategic shift for the Zumwalt-class, moving away from original 155 mm gun systems toward advanced hypersonic capabilities. The total development cost for the CPS program is estimated at $21.5 billion, with individual missiles costing approximately $90 million. Work is being conducted in Pascagoula, Mississippi, with completion expected by October 2028.