Ares Industries, a nascent US startup active in the defence sector, announced that it has begun flight testing a low-cost anti-ship cruise missile. 

The missile is meant to be compatible with existing launching platforms, from which it shall deliver smaller payloads at high subsonic speeds in order to destroy surface targets in an undisclosed, thus far range.

According to the company, the technology incubator Y Combinator supports the startup in its first foray into the defence sector. Specifically, Ares is developing a new class of anti-ship cruise missile in a form that is 10 times smaller and 10 times cheaper than the existing missile systems.

Typically, anti-ship cruise missiles weigh 1,360 kg and cost about $3 million. But with the Ares Industries initiative, the armed forces will have the option to buy a 136 kg cruise missile for approximately $300,000.

Ares is initially focusing on ground- and ship-launched variants, with plans to develop air-launched versions as well as versions with extended ranges and different payloads.

The company’s announcement adds that its personnel spent the summer building multiple prototypes and flight testing them in the Mojave Desert, just 11 weeks after their creation, as depicted above. However, details regarding these test results and the delivery of the end product remain unclear. 

Ares aims to deliver its first operational missile systems to customers by mid-2025 but has not provided further details on this timeline.

Startups like Ares, supported by technology incubators such as Y Combinator, could play an increasingly important role in meeting the needs of the US military, signalling a move towards a more agile and innovation-driven approach to defence requirements coverage.

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