--- title: "Ground-Launched Rusty Dagger Low-Cost Cruise Missile Seen For The First Time" description: "The first public look at the missile in a surface-launched configuration comes as its manufacturer expands production. The first public look at the missile in a surface-launched configuration comes as its manufacturer expands production." date: "2026-10-22" modified: "2026-10-22" authors: - name: "Thomas Newdick" job_title: "Staff Writer" link: "https://www.twz.com/authors/thomas-newdick.md" - name: "Joseph Trevithick" job_title: "Deputy Editor" link: "https://www.twz.com/authors/joseph-trevithick.md" url: "https://www.twz.com/sea/ground-launched-rusty-dagger-low-cost-cruise-missile-seen-for-the-first-time" categories: - "Air" - "Air Force Munitions" - "Land Attack Cruise Missiles" - "Naval Munitions" - "Sea" tags: - "Rebuilding the Arsenal 2026" --- # Ground-Launched Rusty Dagger Low-Cost Cruise Missile Seen For The First Time ![Zone 5 Technologies has shared with The War Zone the first photos of its Rusty Dagger cruise missile in action in a ground-launched configuration. The images offer a new look at a weapon originally developed for air launch that is now being adapted for use from land and sea.]() *Zone 5 Technologies* Zone 5 Technologies has shared with *TWZ* the first photos of its latest Block 40 [Rusty Dagger]() low-cost cruise missile in a surface-launched configuration. The images offer a new look at a weapon developed first with [air-launched applications in mind](), and [for export to Ukraine](). It is now being adapted for use from land and sea, [including by U.S.]() and [other allied forces](). Zone 5 has not disclosed where or when the pictures were taken, or which programs, specifically, the ground-based launches were conducted under. The images do not offer a clear view of the trailer-mounted launcher, either. A spokesperson for the company did stress to *TWZ* that versions of Rusty Dagger have now been selected for separate [U.S. Army]() and [Navy programs](), in addition to its [initial development through the U.S. Air Force](). ![]() *One of the first images showing the surface-launched version of the Rusty Dagger in action. *Zone 5 Technologies** In May, Zone 5, as well as Anduril, CoAspire, and Leidos, [received framework agreements]() from the Pentagon under the Low-Cost Containerized Missile (LCCM) program. The U.S. Army's Portfolio Acquisition Executive Fires (PAE Fires) is running LCCM in cooperation with the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering (OUSW R&E). The aim of this program is to procure [more than 10,000 low-cost cruise missiles](), in total, over three years, beginning in 2027. Then there is also the [Consolidated Affordable Ordnance System]() (CHAOS) effort from the U.S. Navy's Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Munitions (PAE Munitions). CHAOS is focused on low-cost anti-ship cruise missiles, particularly for U.S. allies and partners. CoAspire [is also on contract]() for CHAOS with a version of its [Rapidly Adaptable Affordable Cruise Missile-Extended Range]() (RAACM-ER) design. “We designed a surface-launch Rusty Dagger to be the foundation of U.S. and allied mass-produced affordable precision deep strike weapons,” Tom Kanewske, chief strategy officer at Zone 5, told *TWZ* in a statement. “Our team went from design to demonstration in less than three months, bringing Rusty Dagger from pylons and pallets to ground launcher and shipping containers,” added Kyle Maxhimer, Zone 5’s president. ![]() *Another picture of a Block 40 Rusty Dagger being fired from a launcher on the ground. *Zone 5 Technologies** Zone 5 says the Block 40 version of Rusty Dagger can accommodate warheads in the 100-to-250-pound classes. It can still be configured for air-launch, either from pylons under the wings of aircraft or via [palletized munitions systems](). In order to be fired from launchers on the ground or at sea, the new version of the missile is fitted with a solid-fuel booster rocket at the tail end. More specific details about the Block 40’s capabilities compared to the preceding air-launch-only version, also referred to as the Block 20, remain limited. From what we can see now, the two variations appear outwardly similar in many respects, at least broadly speaking. Earlier variations had a distinctive tail configuration with four squared-off fins, two facing upward and two more angled to either side. The shaping of the fins on the Block 40 does look to be more rounded. It’s also possible the missile may have a new cruciform tail fin arrangement, but this could also be a trick of the angle from which the missile is being viewed, coupled with the low resolution of the available images. ![]() *A side-by-side comparison of the Block 40 Rusty Dagger configured for surface launch, at top, and an earlier air-launched version, at bottom. *Zone 5 Technologies/USAF** Previous [reports have said]() that Rusty Dagger has a range of 300 nautical miles when delivered at low altitude, which is increased to 500 nautical miles when launched by aircraft at medium altitudes [and flying at higher speeds](). In general, surface-launched versions of missiles typically have shorter maximum ranges compared to their air-launched counterparts. https://twitter.com/NatSecLedger/status/1931463625547341875 Regardless, the Block 40 version is an important further evolution of the Rusty Dagger design. The initial air-launched version of the missile, now designated the AGM-188A, has already been in development for several years, in part now under the U.S. Air Force’s [Extended Range Attack Munition]() (ERAM) program. This has [included live-fire tests]() conducted at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida in January 2025. We now know that Rusty Dagger has been cleared for use on four different types of fighters, including the [F-16](). Development of [CoAspire’s Rapidly Adaptable Affordable Cruise Missile (RAACM) was also conducted]() as part of the ERAM effort. ![]() *Three views of a Rusty Dagger live-fire test on January 22, 2025, at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. The service did not identify the weapon by name at the time. *via U.S. Air Force** Like the Navy’s CHAOS effort, ERAM has been focused primarily on supporting allies and partners, [starting first with Ukraine](). A Zone 5 spokesperson told *TWZ* that, as things stand, Rusty Dagger remains the only publicly reported operational missile in its class fielded by the Ukrainian military. https://twitter.com/TheDeadDistrict/status/2063629144626225220?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2063629144626225220%7Ctwgr%5E4f9a01067b139ef7895bb728150e284188ece721%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.twz.com%2Fair%2Fkongsberg-bets-on-high-low-cruise-missile-mix-with-jsm-and-rusty-dagger ERAM has also been feeding into the Air Force’s own Family of Affordable Mass Missiles (FAMM) plans. The service [wants to acquire 28,000 FAMM munitions]() in pylon-launched and palletized configurations over the next five years. ![]() *A U.S. Air Force F-16 carrying a pair of Rusty Dagger missiles, as well as other stores, under its wings. *U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Blake Wiles** As we reported [earlier this year](), Rusty Dagger is now part of a broader portfolio under Norwegian defense company Kongsberg, which acquired a 90 percent stake in Zone 5. Kongsberg has positioned the missile alongside its stealthy [Joint Strike Missile (JSM)](), with the two weapons serving different, complementary roles. https://twitter.com/kongsbergasa/status/2064572983104921615?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2064572983104921615%7Ctwgr%5E4f9a01067b139ef7895bb728150e284188ece721%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.twz.com%2Fair%2Fkongsberg-bets-on-high-low-cruise-missile-mix-with-jsm-and-rusty-dagger Rusty Dagger is designed around affordability and volume, while JSM offers a sophisticated, low-observable strike capability. The concept gives customers a mix of weapons suited to different targets and mission requirements, rather than relying exclusively on expensive, high-end missiles. Zone 5 says it is now expanding manufacturing in the United States. Production is established in San Luis Obispo, California, with production beginning in the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas. A franchised facility [is also being developed]() in Miamisburg, Ohio, with Hawthorn Aero, a company that describes itself as specializing “in high-rate airframe manufacturing, offering scalable solutions from design to full vehicle integration for aerospace industries.” The company says each site is designed to reach a capacity of more than 2,500 missiles annually by the end of 2027. If all three reach that level, combined annual capacity would exceed 7,500 missiles. The expansion reflects the growing emphasis on affordable weapons that can be manufactured in large quantities and replenished quickly, something that is considered especially critical if the United States is to face China in a future high-end conflict in the Indo-Pacific region. The ground-launched Rusty Dagger shown in the photos underscores how far the missile family is moving beyond its original air-launched role. With production expanding and multiple U.S. military programs in the picture, the surface-launched variant adds another potential route to getting the weapon into service. *Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com* ## Author Thomas Newdick is a staff writer at *TWZ*, where he covers military aviation, defense technology, weapons systems, and international security. Based in Berlin, Germany, he reports on conflicts, military modernization efforts, and emerging aerospace technologies around the world, with a particular interest in airpower and its role in contemporary warfare. His reporting is informed by deep expertise in modern and historical airpower, particularly in Europe, with a focus on military aviation, air campaigns, and aerospace developments across the continent and beyond. Over a journalism career spanning more than 25 years, Thomas has become known for making complex defense and aerospace topics accessible to a broad audience. His reporting combines technical expertise, historical context, and a focus on the real-world operational and strategic implications of military developments. ### Author social links [Twitter]()