Textron Systems unveiled Damocles, a lightweight VTOL loitering munition, around October 2025. On February 25, 2026, the US Army awarded Textron a prototype agreement for it under the Low Altitude Stalking and Strike Ordnance (LASSO) program. Textron is competing against AeroVironment and UVision for the contract. The Army budgeted $67.8 million for 103 LASSO systems in fiscal 2026.
What does Damocles actually do?
It’s built to give Infantry Brigade Combat Teams their own beyond-line-of-sight precision strike capability against armored and hardened targets. It needs no launch or recovery equipment, so units can fly it from confined, austere terrain. It uses Textron’s GEN2 Explosively Formed Penetrator warhead for top-attack strikes against vehicles.
What makes it different from other loitering munitions?
Damocles offers automatic target recognition in day, night, and GPS-denied conditions. It’s built on a Modular Open Systems Approach, meaning other payloads, like electronic warfare packages, can be swapped in later without redesigning the airframe. It also includes safety features meant to reduce the risk of unexploded ordnance after a failed strike.
Where does the LASSO program stand?
LASSO is still in prototype competition, not full production. The Army requested $109.5 million for 95 systems in fiscal 2027, separate from Textron’s specific contract value, which hasn’t been disclosed. Textron, AeroVironment, and UVision are all building competing prototypes for the Army to evaluate.
Sources: Textron Systems, Breaking Defense.
