To kick off SOF Week 2026 in Tampa, Florida, the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) unveiled its latest cruise missile of the AGM-190A type and gave it the official nickname “Havoc Spear.” This announcement marks a decisive step in AFSOC’s efforts in Enhanced Precision Effects (EPE) — a modernization initiative aimed at equipping armed forces with adaptable weapons systems capable of delivering precise kinetic and non-kinetic effects over long distances.
“Havoc Spear” is a cost-effective, mission-specific, modular cruise missile that can be produced quickly, according to the AFSOC. The project was spearheaded by the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) based in Tampa to meet the urgent need for rapid, iterative weapons development. “The primary benefit of this system lies in its modularity; it opens commanders up to expanded options for deployment from stand-off distance (stand-off capabilities) to neutralize a wide range of threats,” said Lieutenant General Mike Conley, the commander of AFSOC.
AFSOC and USSOCOM Collaborate with Industry Partner
To accelerate the development process, AFSOC and USSOCOM signed a Cooperative Research & Development Agreement (CRADA — Cooperative Agreement for Research and Development) with an industry partner to develop the cruise missile. According to the command leadership, typical weapons development programs normally take five to seven years to complete; “Havoc Spear” has, however, broken the conventional patterns of defense procurement, since the system was designed, tested, and evaluated under combat conditions in less than three years.
In his keynote address during SOF Week, Admiral Frank Bradley, the commander of USSOCOM, emphasized the importance of CRADAs as the driving force behind the realization of “Havoc Spear.” He also discussed progress in the procurement and implementation of new technologies. “The technological prerequisites were already in place; what was missing was the appropriate framework to move quickly while taking calculated, manageable risks,” Bradley said. “This very DNA — this feedback loop between the forces applying operations and the engineers — is now being extended to the entire armed forces.”
During a visit to the AFSOC headquarters in November 2025, the Secretary of the Air Force, Troy Meink, chose the name “Havoc Spear” as the designation for a capability that unites widespread destruction through mass attacks (“Havoc”) with precise distant targeting (“Spear”). The AFSOC plans to leverage the adaptable strike capabilities of “Havoc Spear” to meet the specific requirements of air warfare from partner forces within USSOCOM and to tackle the Air Force’s most critical missions.
