Lockheed’s Mako Missile Is A Mass-Producible, Salvo Fire-Capable Hypersonic Menace | Aviation

Additive manufacturing makes the Mako a scalable, cost-effective hypersonic weapon that allows for salvo fires, unlike weapons such as the Russian Kh-47M2 Kinzhal or the US’s AGM-183 ARRW.

The hallmarks of Lockheed Martin’s Mako hypersonic missile revolve around being modular and mass-producible, aided by additive manufacturing (commonly known as 3D-printing), allowing these high-speed munitions to be scaled and rapidly integrated onto nearly every U.S. airborne fighter, attack and bomber platform. The company has outlined these features in a new promotional video on the missile, three months after it was first unveiled.

The Mako can be carried internally by the U.S. Air Force’s F-35A, the U.S. Navy’s F-35C, and other fourth generation fighters like the F/A-18 Super Hornet, the F-15, F-16 and even the P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft. Lockheed Martin says the weapon has been fit checked on these aircraft to verify they can carry it.

Basically, Mako is compatible with any aircraft that can carry the BRU-32 heavy duty ejector racks.While Mako can be carried internally by the F-35A and F-35C, it cannot be carried in the weapons bay of the F-35B because of its…