US Navy Picks RAACM-ER Low-Cost Cruise Missile for CHAOS Program to Arm Allies
The U.S. Navy has selected CoAspire‘s RAACM-ER cruise missile for the CHAOS (Coalition Heterogenous Affordable Offensive Strike) program, an effort to give allied and coalition partners affordable strike capability. According to The War Zone’s July 22 report, the $70 million Other Transactional Agreement awarded on July 17 covers Phases 1 and 2 of development.
Technical profile
The RAACM-ER (Rapidly Adaptable Affordable Cruise Missile – Extended Range) is a ground-launched, mid-range cruise missile intended for both land and maritime targets. The turbojet-powered, trapezoidal-bodied weapon pairs GPS-assisted navigation with a long-wave infrared seeker, allowing it to engage moving as well as stationary targets. No official range figure has been released; assessments based on the baseline RAACM design point to roughly 485 nautical miles.
The “affordable mass” approach
CoAspire builds the missile around commercial off-the-shelf parts to avoid supplier lock-in and hit its “affordable mass” target. Unit price has not been disclosed, but the company positions the weapon well below existing options such as the Harpoon ($1.4-2.25 million) and the NSM (around $2 million). The selection extends the Pentagon’s recent low-cost cruise missile push — seen in the FAMM program — into the naval domain.
Strike power for allies
What sets CHAOS apart is its focus: the missile is being developed primarily to give allied ground forces cheap options against ships and land targets, not for the U.S. inventory. The approach reflects a broader shift toward saturating targets with many affordable missiles rather than a few expensive ones — a market direction closely watched by manufacturers of comparable weapons, including Turkiye’s SOM family and Cakir.
Sources
1. The War Zone – “Navy Picks RAACM-ER Low-Cost Cruise Missile For Program To Help Arm Allies” – July 22, 2026. Used for agreement details, technical profile and pricing comparisons. Link: twz.com
2. CoAspire statements – July 2026. Used for production approach and cost targets.
