RAPIDLY ADAPTABLE AFFORDABLE CRUISE MISSILE (RAACM)

Subcomponent Test Vehicle (SCTV)

Integrated Test Vehicle (ITV)

RAACM / SCTV / ITV

CoAspire is the prime contractor for the Air Force for RAACM, a Rapidly Adaptable Affordable Cruise Missile. It is also referred to as a Sub Component Test Vehicle (SCTV) or Integrated Test Vehicle (ITV). CoAspire is working with a large aerospace and defense company as CoAspire’s subcontractor to meet challenges highlighted in this AFA Journal article:

https://www.airandspaceforces.com/to-surge-weapons-production-air-force-may-accept-less-efficiency/ According to the article:

“Making munitions modular and with an open-systems architecture can potentially speed up design and production. The Air Force has issued several requests for information to industry to offer ideas on implementing such ideas.  

“I’ve … had a chance to visit some of our industry partners to see how they’re … looking at automation and the ability to build weapons a bit faster than we have in the past,” Brown said.

While Air Force inventories are “in a decent spot,” Brown said he won’t be satisfied with mere sufficiency.

“I want to make sure we have an overwhelming advantage,” he said.

The Air Force is looking for “that balance” between “highly capable weapons that are very expensive, but you may not have that capacity,” and the less-costly, level-of-effort weapons to prosecute a long-term campaign, Brown said.

Analysts have predicted a war with China over Taiwan could require hitting upwards of 50,000 targets, and a high tempo of airstrikes could empty munitions bins in less than two weeks.”

The following fun video was put together for CoAspire’s booth at the 2024 Navy League Sea Air Space Tradeshow:

RAACM received an additional $5M in funding in an Air Force Weapons line in the FY24 NDAA that survived in conference with the House and Senate:

Additionally, RAACM was highlighted as Directive Report Language by the HASC in the FY24 NDAA Report. Here is the language:

Development of the Rapidly Adaptable Affordable Cruise Missile

The committee continues to support the expansion of the cruise missile production industrial base. The committee is encouraged by the Air Force’s use of the Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) program to contract with a small business to design an innovative Rapidly Adaptable Affordable Cruise Missile (RAACM).

The RAACM will be a Weapon Open System Architecture design, Government Reference Architecture compliant family of weapon systems developed in parallel with a digital model. This use of digital engineering technologies and fasttrack to production concepts like determinant manufacturing allows for the rapid development and production of cost-effective, air-launched cruise missiles.

This speed to field a family of affordable weapons capacity is required to deter peer and near-peer threats now, by providing aircrews a capable weapon in the quantities needed to overwhelm an enemy’s defenses. The committee notes that RAACM does not have an identified future funding path in fiscal year 2024, or in the Future Years Defense Program (FYDP). Without a defined plan, it is challenging to quickly execute this vision of providing affordable capacity in time to deter peer threats. For small businesses investing in the people, parts, and test equipment needed to develop, test, fly and ultimately produce at rate a weapon like RAACM, instability in future funding is a risk that makes development inefficient, slow, and more expensive.

Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of the Air Force to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services not later than December 1, 2023, that explains in detail the Air Force’s RAACM development and acquisition strategy to include: (1) threshold and objective performance characteristics provided in the initial System Performance Specification delivered by the contractor; (2) draft schedule for future production and how that will increase the draft schedule for future production and how that will increase the missile industrial base; (3) streamlined test and evaluation plan that takes into account commercial-off-the-shelf and previously developed SBIR technology; (4) proposed funding profile across the FYDP; and, (5) issues for consideration and planning related to transitioning the program from prototype to production activities.

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RAACM April 2023 SBIR PHIII contract details: