The U.S. Air Force Seeks New Missile Design for Enhanced Combat Capabilities
The U.S. Air Force is on the lookout for a cost-effective missile solution, aiming to employ cargo aircraft to launch a large number of long-range missiles simultaneously. This innovative strategy is detailed in a recent Request for Information (RFI) called Beyond Adversary’s Reach, Family of Affordable Mass Missiles, or FAMM-BAR. This initiative envisions the production of 1,000 to 2,000 missiles per year over a five-year span.
The Air Force’s primary objective is to simplify combat scenarios by creating a unified, affordable, and adaptable air-to-surface missile system with a considerable standoff range. The FAMM-BAR’s initial focus is on developing an anti-ship missile capable of covering at least 1,000 nautical miles at speeds of 533 miles per hour or more, equipped with mid-course navigation for targeting slow-moving maritime threats.
Beyond its anti-ship capabilities, the FAMM-BAR program is also investigating the feasibility of a versatile missile that can be deployed from various platforms. The RFI indicates potential long-range applications on fighter jets and additional aircraft, using lug-mounted munitions, which are weapons attached to an aircraft’s wings or stored internally in bomb bays.
The Air Force is also considering whether these missiles could be adapted for “surface to surface” use by the Army and Navy, prompting contractors to address how they would handle both aerodynamic and physical challenges for weapons intended to be either lug-mounted or deployed from a cargo pallet or for naval operations on U.S. Navy ships. Another possible feature under consideration is resistance to GPS jamming.
It’s important to note that the RFI explicitly states, “this is not a request to change your current design to satisfy other services and strictly for information gathering nor is it a demand signal from the other services.”
FAMM-BAR serves as a longer-range complement to the Air Force’s existing palletized FAMM-P and lugged FAMM-L programs, which offer ranges between 250 to 500 nautical miles. The FAMM-L has recently undergone compatibility testing with the F-16 fighter jet.
In the Air Force’s fiscal 2027 budget, there is a request for $300 million in mandatory funds and an additional $55 million in discretionary funds to acquire 1,000 FAMM missiles. The budget document states, “Future increments will be defined based upon user demand and are likely to include a Beyond Line-of-Sight (BLOS), Extended Range (ER), Long-Range Kill Chain (LRKC) communications, different payloads, sub-systems or employment options, etc.”
This strategic initiative comes at a time when the U.S. is rapidly deploying missiles in the Iran conflict at a prodigious and potentially unsustainable rate. Experts express concern that the ongoing Middle East conflict is depleting U.S. missile reserves to a degree that may compromise the country’s ability to defend Taiwan against potential aggression from China.
