The U.S. Navy has selected Virginia-based defense company CoAspire to develop a ground-launched cruise missile system under a new $70 million program aimed at delivering affordable weapons for maritime and land strikes.
Under a Prototype Other Transactional Agreement with CMG Networks on behalf of the Naval Aviation Systems Consortium, CoAspire will design, build, test, and deliver its Rapidly Adaptable Affordable Cruise Missile-Extended Range (RAACM-ER) Ground-Launched system to the Navy’s Program Acquisition Executive for Munitions and its PMX-201 program office.
The system is being developed for the Coalition Heterogenous Affordable Offensive Strike (CHAOS) program. It combines the RAACM-ER cruise missile with a booster and launcher to create a surface-launched weapon capable of engaging land targets and moving maritime targets.
The program is also intended to support foreign military sales to U.S. allies and coalition partners seeking a lower-cost maritime strike capability that can be manufactured at scale.
Navy backs affordable strike
CoAspire’s selection comes as the U.S. military looks to expand access to affordable weapons that can be produced in larger quantities. The company’s RAACM family includes variants designed for air, surface, and ground launch.
“CoAspire is thrilled to support the U.S. Navy with this much-needed, affordable, mid-range maritime strike weapon,” said Doug Denneny, CEO, owner, and founder. “We, and our 56 first-tier suppliers across almost every state, are excited to support PMX-201, NAVAIR, and our coalition partners with an affordable cruise missile solution.”
The company said the RAACM-ER is designed around a manufacturing approach that uses additive manufacturing to increase payload capacity while reducing the need for traditional tooling. The approach is also intended to cut touch labor and allow design changes without stopping production lines for extensive retooling.
According to CoAspire, the manufacturing method could allow new missile variants to be developed in months rather than the years typically required by conventional manufacturing processes.
The RAACM-ER Ground-Launched system selected for CHAOS is comparable to the company’s RAACM-ER GHOST variant, which is being used in other U.S. military research and development programs, including the Low-Cost Containerized Munition program funded by the U.S. Army’s Program Executive Office for Fires.
Additive manufacturing speeds production
The focus on manufacturing is central to CoAspire’s approach. Rather than developing a single missile configuration, the company is building a family of cruise missiles that can be adapted for different launch platforms and mission requirements.
For the CHAOS program, the ground-launched configuration adds a booster and launcher to the RAACM-ER missile. The system is intended to provide a surface-launched option for forces that need a mid-range strike capability against both land and maritime targets.
CoAspire is a privately owned small business based in Virginia. The company says it has grown without outside investors and relies on a network of 56 first-tier suppliers across the U.S.
The CHAOS contract also adds to the company’s growing involvement in U.S. military programs focused on lower-cost, rapidly produced munitions. CoAspire said its products are designed to be manufactured quickly and at scale, while allowing the company to adapt missile variants to different operational requirements.
The company is showcasing its RAACM family, including the CHAOS Surface Launched system, at the 2026 Farnborough International Airshow in England.