Pentagon seeks affordable, mass-produced long-range weapons with rapid testing timeline

The Defense Department is launching the Ground-Based Affordable Mass (GBAM) program to field ground-launched, autonomous long-range weapons that cost under $250,000 per unit (with cost-per-effect under $500,000) and be demonstrable within 60–90 days, then scaled to production in 12–18 months. The Defense Innovation Unit’s GBAM Challenge offers up to $250,000 in prizes and potential Phase II funding (up to $5 million) for winning teams, with a target range of at least 600 nautical miles, a 35–100 pound payload, autonomous target recognition, GPS-denied capability, no proprietary launch gear, and the capacity to produce 100+ units monthly. This effort complements other affordable-missile programs like FAMM-BAR and Low-Cost Containerized Missiles, aimed at supplementing costly missiles (e.g., Tomahawk) and sustaining tempo in conflict.