The recent successful final flight test of the joint DARPA and U.S. Air Force’s Hypersonic Airbreathing Weapon Concept (HAWC) program marks another milestone in the development of hypersonic technology. With the Lockheed Martin missile, powered by the Aerojet Rocketdyne scramjet, exceeding speeds of Mach 5 and flying higher than 60,000 feet, and farther than 300 nautical miles, the program has achieved its initial objectives and provided critical data to the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL).
Graphic: DARPA
Walter Price, an Air Force deputy for the HAWC program, stated that the successful program will enhance future U.S. Air Force capabilities. The program manager, Andrew “Tippy” Knoedler, praised the industry partners for their hard work and commitment in overcoming the challenges posed by the pandemic and a strained supply chain.
DARPA plans to continue this momentum through the More Opportunities with HAWC (MOHAWC) program by building and flying more vehicles that build upon HAWC’s advances. The new missiles will provide critical data to inform future hypersonic technology maturation efforts and expand the operating envelope of the scramjet.
The results of the HAWC program have added an exclamation point to the most successful hypersonic airbreathing flight test program in U.S. history. The United States now has two feasible hypersonic airbreathing missile designs from Lockheed Martin and Raytheon that will improve and mature in the future, enhancing future U.S. defense capabilities.
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