CoAspire tests RAACM affordable, 3D printed cruise missiles

At Sea Air Space 2025, CoAspire pulled back the curtain on its bold new project: the Rapidly Adaptable Affordable Cruise Missile (RAACM). Created using DAPS AM technology from Divergent, this 3D printed missile brings affordability, adaptability, and reach into the modern battlefield.

RAACM is a cruise missile that looks roughly the size of a 500-pound Mk.82 bomb but is designed to be dropped from a fighter jet, or launched from a cargo plane pallet, or even fired from the deck of a ship. Compared to traditional cruise missiles, which cost millions apiece, it is extremely cost-effective. The message from CoAspire’s leadership is clear: sometimes, in modern warfare, quantity can be just as deadly as quality.

Doug Denneny, CoAspire’s CEO, made the case at Sea Air Space. “Cruise missiles are usually very expensive and have exquisite capabilities,” he said in an interview with Naval News. “But in today’s conflicts, you can see that mass — lots of weapons launched at once — creates a capability of its own. Even if some don’t hit the target, some will. And that changes the outcome.”

RAACM is built for that kind of volume-centric warfare. Its affordability comes largely thanks to 3D printing. CoAspire partnered with Divergent Technologies, a leader in additive manufacturing, to optimize the missile’s body for fuel efficiency and payload capacity. By printing components rather than machining them, they’ve freed up internal space for extra fuel and a larger warhead — and made the system modular for various payload types.

Denneny explained that the design is tuned to balance long-range performance with impactful payloads. “We’ve optimized the fuel space to go extremely far and still carry a warhead that matters,” he said. That’s no small feat, especially when your missile has to compete with systems that cost five to ten times more.

Deployment flexibility is another cornerstone of the RAACM design. The Air Force is funding integration with the F-15E Strike Eagle, but it’s not stopping there. The Navy has also allocated funds to ensure it works with the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and the F-35 — critical platforms for carrier-based and forward-deployed forces. RAACM’s compact size makes it ideal for aircraft that typically carry standard bombs. This means existing weapons racks don’t need a complete overhaul to accommodate it.

Then there’s Rapid Dragon — the palletized munitions system that lets cargo planes drop long-range weapons from the back without needing any hardpoints. RAACM is a natural fit. It turns cargo aircraft like the C-130 or C-17 into missile carriers, dramatically expanding strike capability without a single fighter jet taking off.

CoAspire isn’t stopping at air-launched concepts. Their vision includes ship- and ground-launched variants too, which would make RAACM a versatile multi-domain option in the U.S. arsenal. Although these surface-launched ideas are still in the early stages of development, they underscore the program’s ambition and the potential for the concept to have a far-reaching impact.

In March, CoAspire took the RAACM to the skies in a flight test from an A-4 aircraft in the Gulf of America. Denneny didn’t reveal many specifics, but he was clearly enthusiastic. “It was a home run,” he said, adding that the test validated RAACM’s guidance and accuracy systems — a huge milestone for a weapon that’s still in its early stages.

Other defense players, such as Lockheed Martin, Anduril, and General Atomics, are also pursuing the low-cost, high-volume missile market. As Washington reevaluates its munitions stockpiles — particularly with an eye on potential flashpoints in the Indo-Pacific — projects like RAACM are becoming essential. The U.S. can’t afford to rely only on exquisite, high-dollar weapons anymore. It needs mass, flexibility, and affordability — exactly what RAACM promises.

With the Indo-Pacific region growing increasingly complex and potential adversaries investing in drone swarms and anti-access strategies, RAACM’s low-cost model may be the answer. It can flood a contested space with enough precision firepower to overwhelm defenses without bankrupting the Pentagon’s weapons budget.

Looking forward, CoAspire sees the RAACM as more than just a niche weapon. While the current focus is on air-launch capability, the company’s broader roadmap includes scaling up the design, expanding to allied forces, and offering a plug-and-play platform for future payloads. From electronic warfare modules to area denial tech, the modular body could one day carry far more than just an explosive warhead.