Leidos Convenes Suppliers for Missile Production

Reston, Virginia summit coordinated component makers for the LCCM and AGM-190A Havoc Spear cruise missile programs.

Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Manufacturing

Isometric editorial illustration of identical metal cylinder casings arranged in a staggered row on a plain industrial surface, linked by a thin cable. — Leidos convened missile-component suppliers in Reston, Virginia, on September 26 to coordinate production of its Low-Cost Containerized Munitions and AGM-190A cruise missiles. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Leidos convened missile-component suppliers at its Reston, Virginia headquarters on September 26 to coordinate production for the Low-Cost Containerized Munitions (LCCM) and AGM-190A Havoc Spear programs. The effort follows a May 13 agreement with the Department of War for an initial batch of 3,000 LCCM weapons.

Why it matters

The coordination effort ties the supplier network directly to near-term delivery commitments for both weapons, and the Department of War aims to procure more than 10,000 low-cost cruise missiles over three years beginning in 2027. Manufacturing is concentrated in Huntsville, Alabama, and McEwen, Tennessee, with suppliers spread across 14 states.

The initial LCCM batch is 3,000 weapons, a fraction of the Department of War's goal of more than 10,000 missiles over three years. A separate summer 2026 SOCOM contract covers 45 missiles, with shipments expected to begin in fall 2027.

The players

Leidos

Leidos is a large American defense and technology contractor that serves as the prime integrator for these missile programs through its Dynetics subsidiary.

Department of War

The Department of War is the U.S. federal department overseeing the military procurement of the LCCM program and the broader push for low-cost cruise missiles.

Anduril

Anduril is a defense technology company that received a Department of War agreement under the Low-Cost Containerized Munitions program.

The details

Leidos brought together companies supplying components for the LCCM and AGM-190A programs to discuss manufacturing requirements and delivery expectations. The Air Force designated Leidos' Black Arrow as the AGM-190A in February, and Pratt & Whitney's TJ150 turbojet engine powers the weapon under a supply contract from Dynetics, a Leidos company.

February 2026: Air Force designated Black Arrow as the AGM-190A.
May 13, 2026: Leidos signed the 3,000-weapon LCCM agreement with the Department of War.
September 26, 2026: Leidos held the supplier summit at its Reston headquarters.
Fall 2027: Shipments under the SOCOM contract are expected to begin.

Market Landscape

The Department of War's Low-Cost Containerized Munitions program has moved from contract awards to supplier coordination, with Anduril, CoAspire and Zone 5 also under agreement alongside Leidos. The effort positions Leidos within a competitive field of low-cost cruise missile producers pursuing the same multi-year procurement goal.

For the public, the program's pace determines when low-cost cruise missiles enter service and how defense budgets are spent over the next several years. Production concentrated in Alabama and Tennessee means local manufacturing employment and supplier activity in those states are directly tied to the outcome.

The takeaway

Watch whether the 3,000-weapon initial batch and the 2027 procurement timeline hold, since supplier coordination is the step where schedule slips typically surface. Monitoring Department of War contract announcements will show whether production targets remain on track.