US develops cruise missile in just 16 months - all about the 'Rusty Dagger'

The United States Air Force precocious conducted a live-warhead trial of the Extended Range Attack Munition (ERAM), a standoff cruise missile, with implicit 3,000 units planned for proviso to Ukraine. In a connection connected January 30, the USAF confirmed that the test, which took spot connected January 21, met each superior objectives, including a afloat warhead detonation, and provided captious information to beforehand a cost-effective, long-range onslaught capability. The aerial subdivision highlighted that the trial occurred little than 16 months aft the programme’s archetypal declaration was awarded, underscoring the accelerated improvement timeline. The ERAM was described arsenic a “next-generation, air-launched cruise rocket designed to supply affordable wide to the fight.” The rocket delivers a precision-guided, stand-off capableness against high-value fixed targets, fulfilling a captious operational request by offering a long-range, cost-effective onslaught enactment that tin beryllium rapidly produced successful ample numbers to fortify US deterrence. Reports bespeak that each ERAM rocket would outgo astir $250,000 per shot, importantly little than different long-range systems, which tin tally into millions for a azygous launch. Norway, the Netherlands, and Denmark volition supply fiscal assistance to Ukraine to procure the rocket system.