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Raytheon has scored nearly US$175 million to work on DARPA's ongoing research into hypersonics.
This time, it's not about a hypersonic plane: the program that got its contract announcement on the United States Federal Business Opportunities register today is for a hypersonic weapons system.
HAWC – the Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept – is a joint project with the US Air Force to "develop and demonstrate critical technologies to enable an effective and affordable air-launched hypersonic cruise missile", the DARPA project page says.
Raytheon's latest contract is for a scramjet HAWC, for which $3.4 million has already been committed.
While rocket-based systems routinely reach hypersonic speeds, a Mach 5 capable cruise missile would be faster to deploy and offer longer ranges than current military systems, DARPA reckons.
The next time you are on a long flight, just think that at Mach 5, you could take a lap around the Earth at the equator in 6.5 hours.
(Score: 2) by http on Thursday November 03 2016, @03:44AM
How come nobody is invading the USA to stop their WMD program?
I browse at -1 when I have mod points. It's unsettling.
(Score: 2) by turgid on Thursday November 03 2016, @09:13PM
God hasn't told them to yet.
I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent [wikipedia.org].