The US is developing a cluster-attack cruise missile.

The new US cruise missile system will be capable of coordinated, formation-based attacks and will be integrated onto a variety of fighter aircraft.

Sketch of the Gray Wolf missile design. Photo: Lockheed Martin.

Lockheed Martin, the defense corporation, recently received a $110 million contract from the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to develop a low-cost cruise missile capable of coordinated large-scale attacks, UPI reported on December 27.

The new "Gray Wolf" missile from the AFRL is expected to be integrated into the F-16 fighter jet first, and then equipped on other fighter and bomber aircraft of the US Air Force.

The program comprises four development phases spanning five years. The first phase is expected to be completed by the end of 2019.

"The new missile developed by Lockheed Martin is a low-cost missile that can operate effectively in harsh environments."Hady Mourad,The director of Lockheed Martin's advanced missile program said.

According to Hady, the Gray Wolf missile will be designed to maximize component interchangeability, allowing customers to integrate advanced technologies such as adding high-lethal warheads or more efficient fuel engines.

This is not the first time the US military has planned to develop weapons that utilize mass attack tactics. In March 2016, the Washington Post reported that the US Department of Defense was researching the development of a special weapon system consisting of ultra-small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), less than 3 cm in diameter, operating in formations of hundreds, even thousands, connected to form a tightly packed square block to attack the enemy.

Experts believe this new weapon will be used by the US Department of Defense for a variety of purposes, such as deception, disrupting air defense radar systems, reconnaissance, and even tactical attacks against enemy ground targets.

According to VNE