DARPA funds next phase of air-breathing hypersonic program

The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has awarded Raytheon an $81-million risk reduction contract for the Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept (HAWC).

HAWC test flights

An air-breathing engine utilizes atmospheric air for the combustion of fuel to propel an aircraft or missile. In a scramjet engine, the airflow through the engine remains supersonic  — unlike a ramjet engine — enabling speeds of up to Mach 15.

The US Air Force and DARPA program has seen three flight tests since September 2021, including two with a Raytheon-built demonstration vehicle.

In January, the HAWK vehicle was dropped from a B-52 bomber, clocking over Mach 5 and a flight altitude of more than 60,000 feet (18,288 meters).

Needed technology maturation

Following the test, DARPA announced that more work needs to be done in the program, including data analysis and technology maturation.

The Pentagon agency’s recent effort addresses those concerns, focusing on manufacturing refinement and additional flight tests. 

Raytheon stated that the benefits will also go to the US Air Force’s other hypersonic program, the Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile.

“We applied learnings from each successful HAWC flight test to ensure that it is the most sophisticated system of its kind,” Raytheon President of Advanced Technology Colin Whelan said.

“Continuing this important program will expand our knowledge of hypersonic flight and allow us to deliver the critical capability our warfighters need.”