The US Air Force has successfully tested the low-cost Extended Range Attack Munition (ERAM) cruise missile being developed for Ukraine.
According to the Militarniy news outlet, citing official US Air Force materials, the Jan. 21, 2025 test was at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. The project team met all key objectives, including confirming the full functionality of the missile’s warhead.
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One notable aspect of the program is its rapid pace: less than 16 months passed between the signing of the first contract and the live test. Speed was a priority in developing a missile designed to be affordable, mass-producible, and low-cost.
The successful trial marked another step toward serial production.
The US Air Force Armaments Working Group reported that production of ERAM missiles for Ukraine began in spring 2025, with the first batch of 840 units scheduled for delivery in October 2026.
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency has also informed Congress that the missiles can be launched from both US-made F-16 fighters and Soviet-era MiG-29 aircraft.
ERAM missiles are being produced by two companies: Virginia-based CoAspire and California-based Zone 5 Technologies.
CoAspire’s version, known as the Rapidly Adaptable Affordable Cruise Missile (RAACM), weighs about 500 pounds (roughly 250 kilograms) and carries a combined penetrating and high-explosive warhead. It is designed with a multi-mode fuse and can be aircraft-mounted, reaching subsonic speeds of up to 200 meters (656 feet) per second.
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Technical specifications for Zone 5’s variant, dubbed Rusty Dagger, have not been disclosed, though its capabilities are expected to be similar.
The Pentagon expects production to reach around 1,000 ERAM missiles over two years – roughly 42 units per month.
As per Militarniy, US military officials said Washington is accelerating several programs aimed at producing inexpensive cruise missiles, either by extending the range of existing systems or developing entirely new designs using alternative materials and technologies.
Under the Enterprise Test Vehicle (ETV) program, the US ultimately aims to produce millions of such munitions.
In 2024, five defense companies - Anduril Industries, IS4S, Leidos/Dynetics, and Zone 5 - began designing and testing low-cost cruise missile prototypes with support from the Defense Innovation Agency and the Air Force Lifecycle Management Center.
In late August 2025, the Trump administration approved a potential $825 million arms sale to Ukraine, pending congressional approval.
The package includes 3,350 ERAM missiles and related equipment, funded through the Jump Start program by Denmark, Norway, and the Netherlands, with additional support from US Foreign Military Financing.
The ERAM - an air-launched “mini cruise missile” with a reported range of up to 400 kilometers - is intended to give Ukraine a low-cost, high-volume long-range strike capability, allowing Ukrainian forces to hit military assets and infrastructure deep behind enemy lines.
The package also includes mission-planning software, spare parts, support equipment, and technical assistance.
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