The US Navy is enlisting industry expertise to field the Multi-mission Affordable Capacity Effector (MACE), a cost-effective air-launched anti-ship weapon with extended range and increased lethality.
Last month, Breaking Defense reported that the US Navy is seeking industry assistance to rapidly prototype and field the MACE stand-off weapon, which according to a public notice should have “increased range at lower costs” and “integrated a high-maturity propulsion system with proven payloads.”
The objective of the notice is to help the government determine if there are existing sources with the capability and experience to rapidly prototype, integrate, test and field a long-range, network-enabled weapon system capable of launch from a F/A-18E/F and F-35A/C.
The notice states that MACE should complement the Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM), the Lockheed Martin-made missile fielded on the US Navy’s F/A-18 and the US Air Force’s B-1B.
Breaking Defense notes that possible successors to the LRASM, an effort dubbed Hypersonic Air Launched Offensive Anti-Surface (HALO), are in development by Lockheed Martin and Raytheon.
Still, the US Navy has previously stated it doesn’t expect that weapon to be fielded until the 2030s. It notes that Naval Air Systems Command, the service agency responsible for buying aircraft and associated weaponry, wants to field an early version of MACE in fiscal year 2027.
MACE and HALO aim to address concerns about firepower, range and penetration capability by improving the US’s carrier-based anti-ship capability limitations.
In January 2024, Asia Times reported on the HALO project, stating that Raytheon has completed a technical review and prototype fit-check for the HALO missile, a carrier-based high-speed missile that enables the US Navy to operate in and control contested battlespaces in A2/AD environments and support its long-range fire strategy.
The HALO will likely replace the US Navy’s long-serving Harpoon anti-ship missile, which first came into service in 1977. The Harpoon has been upgraded through several generations but the type may have already maxed out its upgrade potential.
While the Naval Strike Missile (NSM) on the US Navy’s Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) has stealth features and infrared guidance to reduce detection by shipboard defenses, its light warhead compared to the Harpoon limits its punch.
However, the relatively short range of older but more common Harpoon variants and lack of meaningful stocks beyond carrier-based versions threaten to place the US Navy’s aircraft carriers deeper into the battlespace and funnel its air wings into risky attacks.
That also brings carrier-based aircraft within range of formidable shipboard defenses, complicating mission planning and potentially decreasing strike range.
While ship-based anti-ship missile capability could alleviate the problems associated with carrier-based capability, the US faces multiple challenges in keeping its surface fleet in fighting form.
In January 2024, Asia Times noted that the modernization of the aging Ticonderoga-class cruisers had not been completed as planned, with policy delays, maintenance issues and cost overruns affecting the fleet’s readiness. Arleigh Burke destroyers, meanwhile, may have already maxed out their upgrade potential due to a lack of space.
While the upcoming Arleigh Burke Mod 2.0 and Flight IIIs can perform fleet air defense missions, they lack the missile capacity of Ticonderoga-class cruisers.
Ticonderoga-class cruisers have 122 vertical launch missile cells while the Arleigh Burkes have 96. China’s Type 052 destroyer has 64 vertical launch cells while its Type 052 destroyer has 64 vertical launch cells, far less than the Arleigh Burke.
Both Arleigh Burke destroyers and Ticonderoga cruisers are slated to be replaced by the DDG(X) destroyer by 2032. The DDG(X) has a planned displacement of 13,500 tons, 40% larger than the Arleigh Burke class.
It is envisioned to have the same weapons as the Arleigh Burke Flight III destroyers, with upgradeability to fire future directed-energy and hypersonic missiles as significant design considerations.
However, most of the planned weapons on the DDG(X) are still in immature development phases, with the US still not having fielded any hypersonic weapons in its operations against Houthi rebels in the Red Sea, signaling the laggard pace of its laser weapons program.
The DDG(X) concept also risks placing too much capability in a few large, expensive and possibly vulnerable warships.
In line with that, Asia Times noted in September 2023 that while the US unveiled a US$23 billion shipbuilding budget last year, there are concerns that its shipbuilding program remains focused on traditional platforms such as aircraft carriers, amphibious assault ships and guided missile destroyers, which are increasingly vulnerable to China’s anti-ship ballistic missiles and hypersonic weapons.
However, the US has also restarted frigate production after a long hiatus dating back to 2004. While less capable than cruisers or destroyers, frigates are relatively affordable general-purpose combatants that can be built in large numbers.
Asia Times reported in March 2023 that the US plans to boost its shipbuilding capacity from two ships at one shipyard per year to production at two shipyards, indicating a desire to ramp up production of the Constellation-class frigates from 20 to 40 ships in the next ten years, with 50 ships seen as the ideal number.
However, Asia Times in February 2023 noted China’s massive shipbuilding lead over the US, with each of China’s 13 naval shipyards making more ships than all seven US naval shipyards combined while the US struggles with skilled labor shortages.
China has the world’s largest navy, with 370 ships including 140 major surface combatants, and is expected to grow by 400 ships by 2025 and 440 ships by 2030. Much of that growth will come in the form of major surface combatants. The Biden administration’s plan for 280 ships by 2027 and 363 ships by 2045 lags in comparison.
US allies such as Japan and Australia can partially alleviate the US ship-killing firepower shortage, but they also have problems.
Asia Times noted in September 2023 that while Japan is stocking up on missiles for counter-strike capabilities against China and North Korea, it has a poor track record of storing large quantities of air and ship-launched munitions, with stockpiling being an expensive practice that incentivizes keeping the bare minimum number of missiles to reduce maintenance costs.
Japan’s defense industry is also struggling with high prices, aging technology, scant government support and competition from US arms manufacturers.
Similarly, Asia Times reported in April 2022 on Australia’s plans to accelerate missile procurement and jumpstart local production in partnership with Lockheed Martin and Raytheon.
However, in a June 2023 video, ABC News noted that Australia only has enough missile stocks for a few weeks of low-to-medium tempo combat and just a few days for high-tempo combat. ABC News says that Lockheed Martin and Raytheon cannot set up factories in Australia without the US government’s permission to share sensitive technology.