Current US hypersonic weapons projects. (General)

sferrin said:
Remember when RATTLRS, HyFly, X-51, HTV-2, Fasthawk, etc. were going to revolutionize things? Call me skeptical. (But hopeful.)
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I often wonder where the SR-72 has disappeared too, the last time I had heard or saw anything SR-72 related was when I was reading Steve Pace's The Projects of Skunk Works book.
 
FighterJock said:
sferrin said:
Remember when RATTLRS, HyFly, X-51, HTV-2, Fasthawk, etc. were going to revolutionize things? Call me skeptical. (But hopeful.)
Click to expand...

I often wonder where the SR-72 has disappeared too, the last time I had heard or saw anything SR-72 related was when I was reading Steve Pace's The Projects of Skunk Works book.
Click to expand...
Or even the subscale, single-engine demonstrator.

unnamedxx.jpg
 
sferrin said:
Flyaway said:
sferrin said:
Flyaway said:
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This is not about US systems.
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The article includes joint projects with the US.
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"Moreover, as Aviation Week disclosed, a joint U.S.-UK study, Thresher (Tactical High-Speed, Responsive and Highly Efficient Round), is underway between the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory and UK Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (AW&ST April 6-19, p. 14). It is due to be completed in 2022 or 2023."

A passing reference as it was discussing UK hypersonic programs. The other 95% of the article was about foreign systems. If you had to bring it up why not just cite the original article here:


"The previously undisclosed joint Project Arrangement, which expires in fiscal 2022 or 2023, is “maturing technologies within the context of a comprehensive weapon system concept,” with science and technology-level activity for the Thresher over the next 3-4 years focused on the aerodynamics, warhead and propulsion, the Defense Ministry says."

Of course even this latter link is mostly about UK programs. And it's not really a specific weapons program as it is more a generic research effort that doesn't really belong in this topic as such.
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And that just sounds like you’re dancing on a pinhead in an effort to justify to my mind what was your original unreasonable stance. Especially as your original post made it sound like you hadn’t even read the original article fully.
 
sferrin said:
FighterJock said:
sferrin said:
Remember when RATTLRS, HyFly, X-51, HTV-2, Fasthawk, etc. were going to revolutionize things? Call me skeptical. (But hopeful.)
Click to expand...

I often wonder where the SR-72 has disappeared too, the last time I had heard or saw anything SR-72 related was when I was reading Steve Pace's The Projects of Skunk Works book.
Click to expand...
Or even the subscale, single-engine demonstrator.

View attachment 635560
Click to expand...

I didn't realize that the 'SR-72' project was anything more than a rumor. Also, was it confirmed that RATTLRS was cancelled or did it just disappear? In the latter case, it might have gone black.
 
Josh_TN said:
sferrin said:
FighterJock said:
sferrin said:
Remember when RATTLRS, HyFly, X-51, HTV-2, Fasthawk, etc. were going to revolutionize things? Call me skeptical. (But hopeful.)
Click to expand...

I often wonder where the SR-72 has disappeared too, the last time I had heard or saw anything SR-72 related was when I was reading Steve Pace's The Projects of Skunk Works book.
Click to expand...
Or even the subscale, single-engine demonstrator.

View attachment 635560
Click to expand...

I didn't realize that the 'SR-72' project was anything more than a rumor. Also, was it confirmed that RATTLRS was cancelled or did it just disappear? In the latter case, it might have gone black.
Click to expand...

Anytime a project like RATTLRS disappears from the public eye for some reason I automatically start to think that it has disappeared into the black world as well, especially with country's like China and Russia trying to get access to any form of information about them.
 
Flyaway said:
sferrin said:
Flyaway said:
sferrin said:
Flyaway said:
Click to expand...
This is not about US systems.
Click to expand...
The article includes joint projects with the US.
Click to expand...

"Moreover, as Aviation Week disclosed, a joint U.S.-UK study, Thresher (Tactical High-Speed, Responsive and Highly Efficient Round), is underway between the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory and UK Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (AW&ST April 6-19, p. 14). It is due to be completed in 2022 or 2023."

A passing reference as it was discussing UK hypersonic programs. The other 95% of the article was about foreign systems. If you had to bring it up why not just cite the original article here:


"The previously undisclosed joint Project Arrangement, which expires in fiscal 2022 or 2023, is “maturing technologies within the context of a comprehensive weapon system concept,” with science and technology-level activity for the Thresher over the next 3-4 years focused on the aerodynamics, warhead and propulsion, the Defense Ministry says."

Of course even this latter link is mostly about UK programs. And it's not really a specific weapons program as it is more a generic research effort that doesn't really belong in this topic as such.
Click to expand...

And that just sounds like you’re dancing on a pinhead in an effort to justify to my mind what was your original unreasonable stance. Especially as your original post made it sound like you hadn’t even read the original article fully.
Click to expand...
Stop projecting. The topic is US WEAPONS. This is not that.
 
Josh_TN said:
sferrin said:
FighterJock said:
sferrin said:
Remember when RATTLRS, HyFly, X-51, HTV-2, Fasthawk, etc. were going to revolutionize things? Call me skeptical. (But hopeful.)
Click to expand...

I often wonder where the SR-72 has disappeared too, the last time I had heard or saw anything SR-72 related was when I was reading Steve Pace's The Projects of Skunk Works book.
Click to expand...
Or even the subscale, single-engine demonstrator.

View attachment 635560
Click to expand...

I didn't realize that the 'SR-72' project was anything more than a rumor. Also, was it confirmed that RATTLRS was cancelled or did it just disappear? In the latter case, it might have gone black.
Click to expand...
Don't know how something like that could, "go black". To be useful it would have to be out to the fleet, require all kinds of testing, etc. Apparently they flight tested a few, did not publish the results, and that was that.
 
FighterJock said:
Josh_TN said:
sferrin said:
FighterJock said:
sferrin said:
Remember when RATTLRS, HyFly, X-51, HTV-2, Fasthawk, etc. were going to revolutionize things? Call me skeptical. (But hopeful.)
Click to expand...

I often wonder where the SR-72 has disappeared too, the last time I had heard or saw anything SR-72 related was when I was reading Steve Pace's The Projects of Skunk Works book.
Click to expand...
Or even the subscale, single-engine demonstrator.

View attachment 635560
Click to expand...

I didn't realize that the 'SR-72' project was anything more than a rumor. Also, was it confirmed that RATTLRS was cancelled or did it just disappear? In the latter case, it might have gone black.
Click to expand...

Anytime a project like RATTLRS disappears from the public eye for some reason I automatically start to think that it has disappeared into the black world as well, especially with country's like China and Russia trying to get access to any form of information about them.
Click to expand...

Here's hoping RATTLRS lived on. I thought I remember reading a blurb about an engine test that generated more thrust per weight than any other engine; it seemed a like a promising yet not overly challenging route to go down. It wouldn't have the brute force of a scramjet but being to throttle up and down speeds must have its uses.
 
What would be the point in taking rattlrs black and having a small token force? The sr72 makes sense to go black until its operational. But rattlrs would be bought in hundreds. Plus all crew and maintainers training needed...

Hopefully there are some black operational programs hiding in the world!

Remember about 2 years ago when Northrop accidentally released a photo of what they thought was a b2 cockpit mockup but it turned out to be a single seat cockpit most likely for a stealth transport?
 
bobbymike said:
news.usni.org

UPDATED: DARPA Asked Marines to Consider Adding Land-Based Hypersonic Weapons to Arsenal, But USMC Not Interested - USNI News

This post has been updated to note that, after publication, the Marine Corps told USNI News that DARPA reached out about working together on land-based hypersonic weapons but the Marine Corps is not interested. The Pentagon’s research and development community reached out to the Marine Corps...
news.usni.org news.usni.org
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Good for the Marines to go into the hypersonic business. Wonder what sort of weapons they will be? Missiles?
 
Published same day Inside Defense pay site

Marine Corps eyeing DARPA-developed hypersonic weapon
The Marine Corps is exploring adopting a hypersonic weapon, a move that would extend plans for fielding the new class of ultra-fast, maneuvering systems beyond the Army, Navy and Air Force


Marine Corps shows no interest in DARPA hypersonic program
The Marine Corps, after discussing potential adoption of a hypersonic weapon with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, recently waived off interest in fielding a ground-launched variant of an ultra-fast weapon, according to a spokesman
 
bobbymike said:
DOD establishes Joint Hypersonic Transition Office to stand up new university consortium and more
The Defense Department has established a Joint Hypersonic Transition Office and charged the new shop with overseeing creation of a university-led consortium to expand cooperation between academia, industry and government as part of the U.S. military's goal to eventually scale production of a new class of high-speed, maneuvering weapons
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Good news that the US DOD have set up a Joint Hypersonic Transition Office and also got the university’s involved as well in Hypersonics.
 
Josh_TN said:
I didn't realize that the 'SR-72' project was anything more than a rumor. Also, was it confirmed that RATTLRS was cancelled or did it just disappear? In the latter case, it might have gone black.
Click to expand...

"SR-72" was a paper study. For whatever reason LM promoted it to the press. RATTLRS was cancelled after flight hardware was built. I can't remember if I was able to track down the disposition of that hardware.
 
quellish said:
Josh_TN said:
I didn't realize that the 'SR-72' project was anything more than a rumor. Also, was it confirmed that RATTLRS was cancelled or did it just disappear? In the latter case, it might have gone black.
Click to expand...

"SR-72" was a paper study. For whatever reason LM promoted it to the press. RATTLRS was cancelled after flight hardware was built. I can't remember if I was able to track down the disposition of that hardware.
Click to expand...

Pity that the SR-72 was only a paper study, and that RATTLERS was cancelled after flight hardware was built. I wonder why they were not proceeded with.
 
Josh_TN said:
Grey Havoc said:
5G is arguably a technological dead end.
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Could you explain?
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Basically it is extremely overhyped, not to mention the very opposite of secure and robust. Which is a bit ironic given that one of the impetuses behind development of the technology, such as it is, was to try to salvage the dead end that is Cloud Computing. 4G is arguably the high water mark of mobile phone/device technology as we know it, and even that has struggled a fair bit.

Both the 5G hardware and software protocols & standards are an unholy mess, to put it mildly.
 
Grey Havoc said:
Josh_TN said:
Grey Havoc said:
5G is arguably a technological dead end.
Click to expand...

Could you explain?
Click to expand...

Basically it is extremely overhyped, not to mention the very opposite of secure and robust. Which is a bit ironic given that one of the impetuses behind development of the technology, such as it is, was to try to salvage the dead end that is Cloud Computing. 4G is arguably the high water mark of mobile phone/device technology as we know it, and even that has struggled a fair bit.

Both the 5G hardware and software protocols & standards are an unholy mess, to put it mildly.
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The last point sounds like a standardization issue, not a technology issue. As for secure and robust - I assume that 5G must trade these for speed? I can't see how modern equipment would have less secure encryption otherwise. Assuming you are correct, which I must say seems like quite a stretch to believe right now, what would be the next format in mobile devices? A satellite service like Starlink? If 5G is completely standardized, then I don't see how the format could be fundamentally insecure on unreliable.
 
[QUOTE="FighterJock, post: 401430, member: 892]

Pity that the SR-72 was only a paper study, and that RATTLERS was cancelled after flight hardware was built. I wonder why they were not proceeded with.
[/QUOTE]

Engine ran into problems
 
DARPA

Lockheed Martin was awarded a contract to support the OpFires Phase 3 program. This modification exercises the Contract Line Item Number 0005 option (valued at $7,451,558) for the development, building, integration, assembly, testing and checkout of the propulsion components for the Stage 2 section of the missile. Work will be performed in Camden, Arkansas (50%); Huntsville, Alabama (45%); and Orange, Virginia (5%), with an estimated completion date of January 2022.

The OpFires program will conduct a series of subsystem tests designed to evaluate component design and system compatibility for future tactical operating environments. Phase 2 will mature designs and demonstrate performance with hot/static fire tests targeted for late 2020. Phase 3, which will focus on weapon system integration, will culminate in integrated end-to-end flight tests in 2022.
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AIR FORCE

Leidos, has been awarded a ceiling $30,000,000 contract for high speed attack munitions research. The five-year contract will support research and development, advancing state of the art in weapons airframe research to explore the impacts of complex flight environments on advanced weapon systems. Work will be performed at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, and is expected to be completed August 2021 for the initial task order.

www.defense.gov

Contracts for July 17, 2020

Today's Defense Department contracts valued at $7 million or more are now live on Defense.gov.
www.defense.gov
 
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