Concept Proven, Data Will Inform Continued Maturation

The joint DARPA/USAF Hypersonic Airbreathing Weapon Concept (HAWC) programme has completed its final test flight, the agency reported on 30 January.

The Lockheed Martin variant of the missile, with its Aerojet Rocketdyne scramjet, capped a programme that accomplished all primary objectives and is informing the Air Force Research Laboratory’s (AFRL) hypersonic technology maturation efforts. “This month’s flight added an exclamation point to the most successful hypersonic airbreathing flight test program in US history,” stated Walter Price, an Air Force deputy for the HAWC programme. “The things we’ve learned from HAWC will certainly enhance future US Air Force capabilities.”

The flight saw speeds of over Mach 5 at over 60,000ft and a flight path of more than 300 nautical miles, demonstrating improved capabilities and performance. The US hypersonic portfolio now has two feasible airbreathing missile designs – Lockheed Martin and Raytheon – to improve and mature in the future. “The HAWC program created a generation of new hypersonic engineers and scientists,” explained Andrew Knoedler, the HAWC Program Manager. “HAWC also brought a wealth of data and progress to the airbreathing hypersonic community. The industry teams attacked the challenge of scramjet-powered vehicles in earnest, and we had the grit and luck to make it work.”

DARPA plans to analyse and use the flight test data to continue hypersonics maturation in the More Opportunities with HAWC (MOHAWC) programme, by building and flying more vehicles to build upon HAWC’s advances. Those missiles will expand the operating envelope of the scramjet, and provide technology on-ramps for future programmes of record. “We had our share of difficulties,” stated Knoedler. “Through a pandemic, a strained supply chain, and atmospheric rivers, our industry partners forged ahead, mitigating the risks where they could and accepting others. They delivered on their promises, proving the feasibility of the concept.”