Mako hypersonic missile inspired by the Mako shark famous for its speed

US announces Mako hypersonic missile: “Shark” changes the game

Mako

Source: Orbital Today

The US has officially introduced the Mako hypersonic missile, a new generation weapon developed by Lockheed Martin in cooperation with CoAspire. With a speed of over Mach 5, a compact aerodynamic design and the ability to penetrate most modern air defense networks, Mako is considered a “game changer” in global military strategy.                                          Impressive parameters

Length: about 4 m

Diameter: 33 cm

Weight: 590 kg

Warhead: 59 kg

Speed: Mach 5+ (5 times faster than the speed of sound)

Outstanding advantages

Mako is designed with an open modular architecture, allowing easy change of warheads, guidance systems and reducing upgrade costs. 3D printing technology is applied in many parts, helping to increase production speed and reduce costs. In particular, Mako has the ability to fire salvos, optimized for mass attacks on many targets. 

Multi-purpose and flexible 

Unlike many bulky supersonic missiles, Mako is compatible with most modern fighter aircraft: F-35, F-22, F-15, F-16, F/A-18, even P-8A patrol aircraft. With its optimal size, it can be carried inside the weapon bay to maintain stealth features, and is capable of being deployed from submarines or surface ships via a vertical launch system (VLS). 

Strategic Context

Mako originated from the Stand-in Attack Weapon (SiAW) program in 2017. Although the contract was officially awarded to Northrop Grumman, Lockheed continued to develop Mako as a response to China's anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) systems.

Global Impact

Lockheed Martin asserts that Mako is not only for the US military but also for the international market, especially within the framework of AUKUS (US-UK-Australia) cooperation. If mass produced, Mako could change the balance of power in the Pacific and beyond.

With the combination of hypersonic speed, flexible design and reasonable production cost, Mako is emerging as a real "shark" in the sky, promising to reshape the hypersonic weapons landscape in the next decade.