Current US hypersonic weapons projects. (General)

defence-blog.com

U.S. Army displays model of new hypersonic weapon

The U.S. Army recently displayed a model of what it is calling a Long Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW). The model of a new weapon system was unveiled during the House Army Caucus Breakfast at the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington D.C., Feb 27, 2020. The Army’s LRHW will introduce a new...
defence-blog.com defence-blog.com
 
Another one from Lockheed and DARPA to throw on the acronym pile: HSW-ab (Hypersonic Strike Weapon — Air-breathing):

breakingdefense.com

Lockheed Martin, Air Force Press Ahead On Air-Launched Hypersonic Missile - Breaking Defense

Lockheed Martin is designing what it calls a new Hypersonic Strike Weapon-Air Breathing (which goes by the awful acronym HSW-ab) for DARPA. John Varley, Lockheed's VP for hypersonic weapons, wouldn't provide details due to the program's high level of classification.
breakingdefense.com breakingdefense.com
 
Will Roper says:

1. ARRW is much smaller than HCSW, and it carry twice as many (than HCSW) on the B-52.

2.HCSW will still complete the CDR which allows a quickly restart in the future if needed.

3. If ARRW program doesn't experience mass growth, its in class to be able to fit on the center line of F15.

www.flightglobal.com

Why the US Air Force chose hypersonic ARRW over HCSW

The US Air Force's decision to cancel the Hypersonic Conventional Strike Weapon (HCSW) and proceed with Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) came down to size and shape of the missile, in addition to budgetary pressures and a desire to move toward production faster.
www.flightglobal.com www.flightglobal.com




Also, the F-15 EX has been reported that has the ability to carry a 7000 - 8000 lb hypersonic weapon.

HAWC is less than 5000 lb, and HCSW is too large that can not be carried by F 15.

" ... Lastly, the F-15EX is seen as a reliable launch pad for new, larger weapons, in particular hypersonic missiles that will not fit inside the F-35A's internal weapons bay, the source notes.

"We've got to carry a [7,000lb] to 8,000lb weapon that is enormous and doesn't fit in an internal bay," says the source. "And we need a very reliable platform that we well understand, that has power, space and cooling, and we can adapt quickly over the next 10, 12 or 15 years." ..."

www.flightglobal.com

US Air Force sees F-15EX as cheap and quick fix

The US Air Force (USAF) is requesting funds from Congress for eight Boeing F-15EX fighters instead of more of its favoured aircraft, the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter, in a move aimed at cutting costs.
www.flightglobal.com www.flightglobal.com
 
So, for navy, now there has four hypersonic weapon projects: IRCPS, TBG VLS variant (risk reduction starts in FY2021), SM-6 Block 1B and HAWC navy version ?
 
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father of Common-Hypersonic Glide Body? with popular in 90-s era cluster filler

ER4vVJUWsAEnDV8.jpg:large


https://twitter.com/x/status/1233512200452571139
 
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Wasn't it the invention of stealth that negated the need in the 80s and 90s for faster and faster aircraft and missiles? Is the need to also now develop hypersonic systems because stealth will no longer be relevant in the future?
 
rooster said:
Wasn't it the invention of stealth that negated the need in the 80s and 90s for faster and faster aircraft and missiles? Is the need to also now develop hypersonic systems because stealth will no longer be relevant in the future?
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Stealth is less relevant now due to the proliferation of high performance long range SAMs and search radars, but it is still incredibly important for a modern aircraft.

High speed weapons act as a force multiplier, much in the same way stealth does. It's hard to deny the fact that these weapons are being developed in response to the
Russian/Chinese systems, but their tactical and strategic value is also very important.

One of the major targets for hypersonics will be time sensitive A2/AD sites with a big focus on mobile SAM sites, radars, command posts and long range rocket or missile launchers. In a near peer fight it can be assumed that aircraft operating in the vicinity of these weapons will have an extremely difficult time. Hypersonics will give the attacking military an extremely tough to intercept weapon to neutralize anti access weapons and to re-allow aircraft, ships, and ground forces to operate freely.
 
Agreed but it is also important to note that Stealth is a force multiplier for Hypersonic weapons. In that sense it will be hard to speak about its reduced relevance.

The clearest sign of that is the recent announcement by the USAF to prioritize development of air launched Hypersonic weapon with a smaller size (hence less expected range). Stealth gives you the possibility to engage at close range (hence often retargeting in real time) with no or less reaction time left for the target.

Where Stealth should be less relevant is in the European context. The Franco-German endeavor to build a said-so 6th Gen fighter from nowhere and no credible experience have all the sign to become a gigantic money pit where all other factually relevant prior research efforts would be buried with protocolarian emphasis...

Frenchs (them at least) should put the focus on Hypersonic, Hyper stealth and deep space strategic defense (gov regulated energy prod offset of Earth). That's where the meager ressources should be invested.

If you are not convinced, Airbus claims it needs €7billions to develop a MALE drone for the FCAS project, something it was already paid for, a cost that represents a 50% reduction from their initial claim after a bit of negotiating (that tells a lot about the seriousness of their offer!) and an expense that more importantly represents 96 brand new, readily available F-35s that will be good for the job FCAS is intended for.

Fom Hypersonics to un-stealthy Hyperwaste, the path is surprisingly short.
 
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HyFonic said:
rooster said:
Wasn't it the invention of stealth that negated the need in the 80s and 90s for faster and faster aircraft and missiles? Is the need to also now develop hypersonic systems because stealth will no longer be relevant in the future?
Click to expand...
Hypersonics will give the attacking military an extremely tough to intercept weapon to neutralize anti access weapons and to re-allow aircraft, ships, and ground forces to operate freely.
Click to expand...
But this is what stealth does. Hence the retirement of the blackbird with no follow on faster aircraft, but instead some stealth drones that went nowhere. The B1 was produced and stealthier and slower version when it finally went into service. This is why the B2 is subsonic and stealthy. This is why the F35 isn't exactly "fast" and why the B21 will be subsonic. Arguably stealth does everything hypsonic does. Only flight time is reduced, but if something is long ranged and hypersonic then it will be visible a long way away on radar and IR and the target has time to react before being struck. When Iran launched its missile attack recently on US forces, we had a long time to "brace for impact". How fast were those missiles? If Iran had launched a hypothetical stealthy cruise missile attack then we would not had had time to prepare: things would have just started exploding with no warning. Its impossible to build a stealthy hypersonic aircraft/missile, yes? So you'll see it when its launched all the way to impact.
 
rooster said:
HyFonic said:
rooster said:
Wasn't it the invention of stealth that negated the need in the 80s and 90s for faster and faster aircraft and missiles? Is the need to also now develop hypersonic systems because stealth will no longer be relevant in the future?
Click to expand...
Hypersonics will give the attacking military an extremely tough to intercept weapon to neutralize anti access weapons and to re-allow aircraft, ships, and ground forces to operate freely.
Click to expand...
Arguably stealth does everything hypsonic does. Only flight time is reduced, but if something is long ranged and hypersonic then it will be visible a long way away on radar and IR and the target has time to react before being struck.
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I'll concede to most of your points, it is very true that the high and fast style of aircraft and missile fell out of favor in light of the low and slow stealthy designs.

I do take slight issue with this remark as speed is really the major strong point of the hypersonic weapon and that's a big deal. For an insurgency or irregular conflict, a hypersonic weapon is beyond overkill and simply a waste. But in a highly contested combat zone with a near peer adversary the speed advantage is incredibly important. You draw a comparison to the Iranian missile attacks against the airbases in Iraq, it's not an entirely flawed comparison, but one of the reasons there were so few causalities was not because the launches were detected (they were detected though) but due to intercepted signals which gave hours to prepare the troops stationed there. The missile could have been traveling at the speed of light but that wouldn't have mattered as the men and women stationed there would have already been in a secure location.

Another thing about the hypersonics is the kinetic energy involved. Obviously this can not be calculated because of the classified nature of the glider programs, but it would be an exceptional amount.

I think it is also worth noting that due to the death of the INF treaty there is a glaring lack of a long ranged ground based weapon, the recent procurement of hypersonics by the likes of China and Russia forced Americas hand and as such there was a need to play catch up to maintain parity in the global arms race whether or not the weapons were truly needed.

It's safe to say stealth isn't going anywhere, but neither are hypersonics. I envision a battlefield where both types of weapons are able to work synergistically, filling the gaps that each type of weapon leaves open.
 
rooster said:
Arguably stealth does everything hypsonic does.
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This is quite drastically wrong. Stealth can't "replace" speed advantages. It just gives its own. You can't significantly decrease NEZ of enemy missiles just by stealth: if you were caught (and you WILL be caught no matter how stealthty you are) - you will be engaged. And if you were engaged - speed + ECM is what you want, not magical "muh 0.0001m^2". Opposite is true: you can't just roll around at high speeds and consider yourself immune (well, technically you can, but that would require speeds unpractical for current manned endoatmospheric crafts). You want to be noticed as late as possible for a whole set of reasons, and speed alone won't cut it.
 
www.iiss.org

Hypersonic weapons and strategic stability

Hypersonic weapons, which combine the speed of the fastest ballistic missiles with the manoeuvrability of cruise missiles, will enter the arsenals of China, Russia and the US over the next five years. Whether their arrival starts an action–reaction cycle in military spending or further weakens...
www.iiss.org www.iiss.org
 
1.PNG
B-52 length is 48.5 meters
ARRW length is 13.043% of B-52 length, so about 6.3 meters
 
From the article:
Japan is developing two advanced anti-surface warheads that will be fitted onto two hypersonic weapons that are currently also under development, as indicated by several documents obtained by Jane's from the Ministry of Defense (MoD) in Tokyo.

The MoD's Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics Agency (ATLA) plans to arm these weapons, namely the Hyper Velocity Gliding Projectile (HVGP) and the Hypersonic Cruising Missile (HCM), with the 'Sea Buster' tandem-charge warhead and a multiple explosively formed penetrator (MEFP) warhead, according to the documents.

The warheads are designed to "attack warships and military vehicles deployed around/on the small islands and their surrounding sea area" according to one of the documents in a possible reference to Japan's more remote islands in the East China Sea.

The 'Sea Buster' warhead is being specifically developed to target enemy surface vessels, most likely larger warships, according to the documents. It is composed of a main warhead, which carries armour-piercing high-explosive shells and a nose fuze, and a precursor warhead that uses shaped charges.

Artist renderings depicting this warhead targeting large surface vessels have appeared in several ATLA documents and pamphlets obtained by Jane's . For instance, last year the ATLA published its 'R&D Vision', which contained an artist's rendering of the HCM targeting an enemy aircraft carrier. A text accompanying the image referred to Japan's development of an advanced highly effective penetration warhead that can damage the deck of an aircraft carrier or be used for "area suppression".

The MEFP warhead is being designed to engage surface vessels and both stationary and mobile ground targets, with the ATLA saying in one of the documents that one such warhead will be able to release dozens of hypervelocity metal fragments capable of striking several targets.
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From Inside Defense pay site


DOD appears poised for major hypersonic flight test this week
The Defense Department appears set this week to conduct a flight experiment of a long-range hypersonic glide vehicle that -- if successful -- will advance Army and Navy plans to mature prototype designs for land- and sea-launched offensive strike weapons as soon as 2023 and 2025, respectively
 
Lc89 said:

DOD conducts 'successful' long-range hypersonic flight test, declares event 'major milestone' | InsideDefense.com

The Defense Department said today it conducted a successful long-range flight of a hypersonic glide body, an event it called a "major milestone" in advancing Army and Navy prototype weapons, flying an experimental payload more than 2,000 miles over the Pacific Ocean.
insidedefense.com insidedefense.com
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I assume the booster to get the HGV up to speed is just a test vehicle?

 
I wonder how many an Ohio (or Columbia) SSGN could carry.
 

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