Hypersonics

DARPA/US Air Force hypersonic air-breathing weapon ready for free flight

Two variants of the Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept (HAWC) being developed for DARPA and the US Air Force have completed their final captive carry flight tests and are now cleared for their first free-flight tests within the next year.

In a scramble not seen in the military aerospace field since the sound barrier was broken in 1947, the race to develop hypersonic weapons by the major powers has the potential to revolutionize warfare in the 21st century. Being able to fly at over five times the speed of sound, hypersonic missiles and aircraft would literally be able to outrun conventional weapons. They would also allow only a very small window of time for targeting systems to lock onto them and would have so much momentum that some wouldn't even need explosives to destroy their targets.

However, to achieve this and make hypersonic weapons practical, a number of technologies need to be brought to maturity. Specifically, such missiles need next-generation flight controls and avionics, cooling systems to battle the high temperatures that hypersonic flight generates, and propulsions systems that can operate at hypersonic speeds.