Raytheon Missiles & Defense and Northrop Grumman announced this week that they successfully completed the first flight test of a scramjet-powered hypersonic air-breathing weapon concept (HAWC) for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency as well as the U.S. Air Force. A prototype system is set to be delivered to the U.S. Department of Defense some time in the near future.
The HAWC was carried beneath the wing of an aircraft before it was released, and moments later, a solid rocket motor propelled it to supersonic speeds, where the scramjet engine ignited and accelerated the missile, enabling it to reach hypersonic flight. Scramjet engines essentially use high vehicle speed to forcibly compress incoming air before combustion to enable sustained flight at hypersonic speeds (Mach 5+) or greater, thus allowing such weapons to potentially evade defense systems.
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This is a history-making moment, and this success paves the way for an affordable, long-range hypersonic system in the near term to strengthen national security. This test proves we can deliver the first operational hypersonic scramjet, providing a significant increase in warfighting capabilities,” said Colin Whelan, vice president of Advanced Technology at Raytheon Missiles & Defense.
