The MAKO missile is clearly stated by Lockheed developers and US military personnel to be capable of hypersonic speeds

by Kris Osborn, President, Warrior

The US Navy and Air Force have fitted a paradigm-changing, air-launched hypersonic missile into a wide range of aircraft to include the  F-22, F-35 and P-8 surveillance plane to support a new generation of high-speed, air-to-surface attacks on enemy targets at hypersonic speeds. 

The arrival of a weapon, named MAKO after the fastest swimming shark, introduces new tactics and concepts of operation into considerations of future military operations and brings unprecedented speed  to various kinds of air attack. 

The MAKO missile is clearly stated by Lockheed developers and US military personnel to be capable of hypersonic speeds, meaning it will travel at at least five-times the speed of sound, yet details related to the range, speed and guidance technology built into the missile are not publicly available for security reasons. 

The weapon was first revealed at the US Navy League’s Sea Air Space symposium in 2024, however very few details are available apart from the basic configuration and mission intent of the weapon. Lockheed developers have stated that the MAKO weighs 1,300 pounds and fits into an airframe that is 13 inches in diameter.  Developers also describe the weapon as being able to integrate into any aircraft with “30-inch lugs,” a specification which means the MAKO could also arm US Air Force bombers as well.  As many as six MAKO missiles can fit onto a single F-35C. 

The MAKO was originally developed years ago as an offering for the Air Force’s Stand In Attack Weapon program and has since been modified for a wide range of potential combat applications.

New Attack Methods

The tactical advantages of an air-launched hypersonic weapon, something which has been in development and on the radar at the Pentagon for many years, are perhaps far too numerous to cite. The largest margin of difference would most likely pertain to range, speed and guidance in particular. 

An ability to strike a target at hypersonic speeds is of course designed to destroy an enemy faster than any defense or countermeasure can be implemented.  An ability to travel at hypersonic speeds may also greatly extend the stand-off range from which attacks can be launched, a circumstance which places the attacking aircraft further away from enemy fire.  Along with speed and range, it would seem precision-guidance would also be of critical significance to a weapon of this kind in order to optimize the advantages afforded by an ability to attack at much faster speeds. 

Digital Engineering 

Lockheed developers of MAKO cite cost and technological advantages associated with the weapon due in large measure to the use of open-architecture technical standards and digital engineering developmental techniques.  Open-architecture and “modular” weapons development refers to the use of common IP protocol standards to ensure new technologies can quickly integrate into the weapon as they become available through the use of software upgrades and other kinds of technical integration. The intent is to ensure rapid upgradeability such that new guidance systems, hardening technologies, range capabilities and even propulsion or “flight trajectory” enhancements can quickly be integrated. 

The largest advantage regarding the upgradeability and future performance of the MAKO likely pertains to the use of digital engineering weapons development methods. Computer technology has evolved to the point where design specifics and performance parameters of weapons systems can be very precisely replicated using digital simulations. Digital engineering has been used successfully in a wide range of weapons programs, to include the Next-Generation Air Dominance effort, B-21 and Sentinel next-generation ICBM. 

This means specific enhancements to the weapon, such as range, precision, guidance or targeting improvements, can be assessed and integrated using computer simulations. This prevents a need to “bend metal” and manufacture specific new technologies for testing before decisions are made because performance and integration can be successfully analyzed through a digital process using computer simulations. Another critical advantage of digital engineering is that it can lower costs by removing the need to manufacture a wide range of new technologies before they can be sufficiently tested and assessed. 

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Kris Osborn is the President of Warrior Maven – Center for Military Modernization. Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a highly qualified expert in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army—Acquisition, Logistics & Technology. Osborn has also worked as an anchor and on-air military specialist at national TV networks. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The History Channel. He also has a Masters Degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University.