USAF Seeking Rapid Development, Deployment of Air Launched Hypersonic Missile

The USAF released a Sources Sought notification for the rapid development and deployment of a hypersonic strike missile to be launched from aircraft. Janes reported it.

However, there are two ways to interpret this.

1. The USAF is freaking a bit over the recent hypersonic missile tests by the Russians and Chinese and clambering to get an equivalent deployed. That would make sense given the lolligagging the USAF has been doing for its own development up to this point. At least in the White World, it appears the USAF has been screwing around rather than getting the tech developed at even a modest pace.

or...

2. The USAF has decided that it can finally take the wraps off some already developed tech and turn it into a missile. Or there may have been some missiles already developed and this is a way to transition them into the white world. The trigger is still the recent adversary tests, but this is less of a panic than a 'ok-we-have-an-opportunity-to-go-white.'

I suspect its a mix of the two above, with the the oh shbt factor being higher than the let's go white. However, the interesting bit about the vendors having to be able to demonstrate they already know hypersonic tech is what keeps me from beleving the USAF has utterly screwed itself (very little white world programs that would give that level of competency...hence...)

www.janes.com...

Wouldn't it be cheaper if we all just got along with each other and quit trying to keep up with the Jones'

I really am not too impressed with the warmongering traits of mankind.

a reply to: rickymouse
If we do not keep up with defense(read war) technology, our rivals will pass us and then eventually attack us anyways. Im all for keeping it diplomatic. But eventually somebody is going to use their new tech if others have not caught up.

Im all for it.

originally posted by: worldstarcountry
a reply to: rickymouse
If we do not keep up with defense(read war) technology, our rivals will pass us and then eventually attack us anyways. Im all for keeping it diplomatic. But eventually somebody is going to use their new tech if others have not caught up.

Im all for it.

Yeah, everyone is messed up....all sides are crazy. And we the people actually work to pay for all that military on both sides.

Who wins the war? The people profiting by the war.

a reply to: rickymouse
I feel that we are all winners from proper developments in defense technology. I still believe if we became mobilized for war WW2 style, we could take on quite a bit of the whole world with the armaments we got.

Its that competitive edge that keeps our energy affordable and exotic foods in the supermarkets 24/7 365 relative to muc of the rest of the world. I don't like the how, but I sure do appreciate and respect the why.

a reply to: worldstarcountry


Yeh though I walk through the valley of death, I shall fear no evil, for I am the meanest SOB in the valley.

"Qualified vendors must be skilled in design, qualification, and component/subsystem testing of the critical elements of the hypersonic missile in representative operational conditions. Qualified vendors must be capable in the following fields: hypersonic aerodynamics, aero-thermal protection systems, solid rocket motors, warhead/missile integration, advanced hypersonic guidance, navigation and control, and aircraft integration."

Sure they will be lining up!

a reply to: Forensick

Interesting, isn't it? That list. And the number of qualified companies ought to be ...well...pretty much zilch. at least if the white world research is a guide. I mean, look at the problems they've had and all with the barrier and whatnot.

Unless there were black world things developed since.

It seam that it start to move on the hypersonic, Lockheed want to start a demonstrator next year of a TBCC aircraft and missile weapon in a near futur.

Obama did grave damage to US technology and military. You have not even seen the tip of the iceberg. It's as if he weakened the US on purpose.

www.flightglobal.com...

It's not an air breather if the article is to be believed.

And the US is also building a boost glide warhead.

I thought DARPA did all the groundwork with the Falcon project?
X51a flew enough to get data from it.

a reply to: anzha

Yeah thats what I though, why put it public if you know only 1 or 2 companies can do it?

If its anything like the defense purchases I worked on the DSTO (Aus version of DARPA/DSTL) had already a working version but it was not a production unit/flightworthy. They had basically mashed together a number of different systems and added some they had developed into a flying bench test. With this working they wrote a scope they knew could be met but then gave us a size for it to fit in (19" rack mount) a power limit and then all the other lovelies like documentation, saltfog, nuclear hardening.......

With our expertise in system integration we pulled it all together into a development and then production units, certified and ready for deployment in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Which might suggest that the US is not clambering to catch up with the Russians/Chinese, they just want to build reliable and certified versions of what they have already developed.

a reply to: Forensick
Yes Hifire had been worked on for a while now..

I was thinking why dont they just buy Meteor?

en.wikipedia.org...(missile)

Claimed to be over Mach 4 but then re-read the article as a Mach 5 Strike Weapon.

Does this mean Air to Ground like the AGM series?

At Mach 5+ impact, what is the likely target, a ship or SAM site (heavily defended)? or is it more the stand off range at those speeds.

At Mach 5 would the kinetic energy be enough to knock out a target or would you also need an explosive package or a modular weapon?

Meteor is a very good contender..

warisboring.com...

www.flightglobal.com...

Wonder if that was the cause of the BOOM and mushroom cloud at Woomera a few weeks ago.

Me too! Me too!

www.ruaviation.com...

I'm wondering if the new hyper sonic technology for these missiles uses magneto aerodynamics to eliminate shock wave and sonic booms. I do know it is being researched and it is currently classified. Not the fact that this exists, but the research and what they have developed is.