Current US hypersonic weapons projects. (General)

[Flyaway]

U.S. Air Force Studies Rocket-based Hypersonic Flying Testbed Plan | Aviation Week Network

Combined-cycle testbed paves the way for Air Force’s longer-term hypersonic vehicle ambitions.

aviationweek.com

Saddly behind a pay wall.

Fed up with them doing that!!!

 

[In_A_Dream]

U.S. Air Force Studies Rocket-based Hypersonic Flying Testbed Plan | Aviation Week Network

Combined-cycle testbed paves the way for Air Force’s longer-term hypersonic vehicle ambitions.

aviationweek.com

Saddly behind a pay wall.

I'd imagine these hypersonic air-breathing developments means they're finally peeling the curtain back on some things to stimulate the industrial base/collective brain trust. And it's about time!

 

[dark sidius]

Its good news re starting things like x 43B its time now technology start to be mature and in the race with China it is Time to win

 

[DSE]

U.S. Air Force Studies Rocket-based Hypersonic Flying Testbed Plan | Aviation Week Network

Combined-cycle testbed paves the way for Air Force’s longer-term hypersonic vehicle ambitions.

aviationweek.com

Saddly behind a pay wall.

This article is in the most current issue of AW&ST, pp46-48.

 

[seruriermarshal]

Lockheed's exhibitor page for #vASC2020 helpfully notes the top speed for the Navy's IR Conventional Prompt Strike missile will be greater than Mach 15. I keep seeing different numbers for it. The Dynetics program manager implied average speed was about Mach 11.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1305860245827325952

View: https://twitter.com/TheDEWLine/status/1305860245827325952

 

[Josh_TN]

The velocity will continue to bleed during the glide. So I suspect we are, among other things, seeing average speed conflated with max speed at burnout. Still, all of those seem higher than I would have thought. The 2017 test covered 2200 miles in under 30 minutes, which works to an average of ~Mach 6. But it would be the case that the longer the flight, the lower the average speed. I doubt we will ever truly know the envelope for the weapon, and I feel after you reach a certain threshold the difference is a little moot.

EDIT: is IR CSP a separate program/different missile than CSP? Or did it just get renamed?

 

[fredymac]

Aerojet Rocketdyne artwork presumably for a notional HAWC sramjet missile.

 

[Lc89]

The velocity will continue to bleed during the glide. So I suspect we are, among other things, seeing average speed conflated with max speed at burnout. Still, all of those seem higher than I would have thought. The 2017 test covered 2200 miles in under 30 minutes, which works to an average of ~Mach 6. But it would be the case that the longer the flight, the lower the average speed. I doubt we will ever truly know the envelope for the weapon, and I feel after you reach a certain threshold the difference is a little moot.

EDIT: is IR CSP a separate program/different missile than CSP? Or did it just get renamed?

In the test of March 19 it reached the speed of mach 17, but I think it can also go faster if they launch it from further away, as with the test in 2014 from the island of Kodiak in Alaska to Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands, which however exploded at the moment of launch.

 

[bobbymike]

Ray Wants ARRW 'Soonest' For B-52, B-1 - Breaking Defense

Combatant Commanders for European Command and Indo-Pacific Command see bombers with hypersonic capabilities as "incredibly, incredibly valuable," says Gen. Timothy Ray.

breakingdefense.com

So do I!!!

 

[bobbymike]

High Speed, Low-Yield: A U.S. Dual-Use Hypersonic Weapon - War on the Rocks

Should the United States put nuclear warheads on hypersonic missiles? For 20 years, Washington has answered “no” by excluding nuclear weapons from its

warontherocks.com

 

[aonestudio]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1306996569103675393

View: https://twitter.com/lfx160219/status/1306996569103675393

View: https://youtu.be/COBxpN5daNo

 

[AN/AWW-14(V)]

from boeing media, B-52 with "HAMMER" likely LRASM-B and B-1 with notional ASM

https://www.boeing.com/features/#/downloads

 

[bobbymike]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1308511553633820678

View: https://mobile.twitter.com/TheDEWLine/status/1308511553633820678

 

[flateric]

...

 

[sferrin]

from boeing media, B-52 with "HAMMER" likely LRASM-B and B-1 with notional ASM

Boeing: Features

Feature Stories & Multimedia

www.boeing.com

View attachment 641260

Those aren't the LRASM-B design. The design was different and the program was cancelled about 5 minutes after they announced it years ago.

 

[Josh_TN]

Presumably the first airbreathing super/hyper sonic would be based on one of the HAWC demostrators. They are supposedly much smaller/lighter than ARRW. Their are quotes indicating that the USAF envisions B-52s being armed with "14 to 20" air breathing hypersonics; that would tend to put the weapon in the size and weight class of AGM-86 or perhaps a bit larger.

I have a hard time believing the B-1 fleet will ever be modified for hypersonics; we're basically talking about two dozen combat coded airframes that will be the first to the bone yard when the B-21 is introduced. Where as B-52's will hopefully be get an engine upgrade and be flying until 2040-50.

 

[Flyaway]

Someone mentioned on that Twitter thread that using the pylons breached the START treaty?

 

[Josh_TN]

Which I think is no longer in force. I think New START only restricts the total number of 'launchers' and 'warheads' as defined in the treaty, and puts no restrictions on bombers outside the fact that denuclearized bombers and nuclear bombers cannot be based in the same location (some of the B-52s have been denuclearized). In fact each bomber counts as a single 'warhead' per the language of the treaty, so bombers that count as nuclear launchers have no restrictions in terms of load. The only limit is a total of 800 launchers/700 deployed launchers. To get to that level, the SSBN fleet had four tubes filled with ballast and 50 ICBMs silos were taken out of operations, along with the B-52s (and I believe several B-2s as well; I can't explain why several were hanging out by themselves in Hawaii otherwise).

Hawaii

www.google.com

USAF presidential/vice presidential transport visible in top left corner.



The B-1 fleet is totally denuclearized so it would have no current restrictions as far as I know.

 

[flateric]

Those aren't the LRASM-B design. The design was different and the program was cancelled about 5 minutes after they announced it years ago.

Yes. Boeing stresses that both hypersonic missiles (boost-glide and airbreather) depicted are 'generic' designs based on unclassified data

 

[marauder2048]

Someone mentioned on that Twitter thread that using the pylons breached the START treaty?

The pylons just have to rendered incapable of carrying a nuclear weapon i.e. no System 1 /System 2 interface support.

 

[Bhurki]

Who's to say AGM-183A weighs 7,000lbs?

Umm.. Roper?!
7,300 lbs, 270"x30" was quoted..
Also, those dimensions match the ones deduced from the pic from B52 flight tests, so i don't see the mass deviating too much from whats announced.

Also, considering other solid rockets on various missiles of similar size(atacms on x51, iskander/kinzhal, df-11, skybolt), this seems the appropriate mass based on these dimensions.

Any chance of a link? I don't recall seeing either a weight or length given for AGM-183.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1233523377782054912

View: https://mobile.twitter.com/TheDEWLine/status/1233523377782054912

Did you READ the link? AGM-183 is a Lockheed Martin product. "And Boeing showed a “multipurpose booster” on centerline on #AWS20 display model, weighing 7,300lb and 270-in long." This is the Boeing missile they're referring to:

View attachment 639836

Well, i said something about the matching dimensions as well. Arrw literally is the same length/diameter as this, and it won't be entirely dubious to assume its weight as identical as well.

What on Earth are you on about?

Dare, i say it again arrw is 7300 lbs..
22,000/3

https://twitter.com/x/status/1308511553633820678

View: https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1308511553633820678

 

[flateric]

Is there any evidence these aren't just fan art? Didn't see anything on the Boeing site.

https://www.boeing.com/features/#/downloads

 

[Lc89]

Blasting The Air In Front Of Hypersonic Vehicles With Lasers Could Unlock Unprecedented Speeds

For decades, the DoD has been researching a radical drag reduction technique that involves sheathing a vehicle in directed energy-induced plasma.

www.thedrive.com

 

[marauder2048]

Blasting The Air In Front Of Hypersonic Vehicles With Lasers Could Unlock Unprecedented Speeds

For decades, the DoD has been researching a radical drag reduction technique that involves sheathing a vehicle in directed energy-induced plasma.

www.thedrive.com

Given that many of the BGVs* are already wrapped in plasma, "conventional" MHD techniques strike me as making far more sense.
* at Mach 10+

 

[sferrin]

I remember reading, over a decade ago, about the idea of using a laser/microwaves as a "better aerospike".

 

[Rhinocrates]

Plus ça change... Reports on Myrabo's Lightcraft concept:

Advanced beamed-energy and field propulsion concepts - NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Specific phenomena which might lead to major advances in payload, range and terminal velocity of very advanced vehicle propulsion are studied. The effort focuses heavily on advanced propulsion spinoffs enabled by current government-funded investigations in directed-energy technology: i.e...

ntrs.nasa.gov

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/234984699_Review_Of_Laser_Lightcraft_Propulsion_System

A book co-authored by Dean Ing and Leik Myrabo, The Future of Flight can be found on eBay, Abebooks etc.

Interviews with Leik Myrabo on The Space Show here.

Broadcast 1444 (Special Edition) | The Space Show

www.thespaceshow.com

Broadcast 1214 (Special Edition) | The Space Show

www.thespaceshow.com

Broadcast 249 (Special Edition) | The Space Show

www.thespaceshow.com

Found this too. The original article is dated 1995.

"Air Spike" Could Ease Hypersonic Flight Problems, page 1

www.abovetopsecret.com

... and that date reminds me of the feeling I get increasingly often when I watch movies on Netflix or wherever: "Oh that one's good, I think I saw it in a theatre couple of years ago in... 1995. Oh shit, I'm old."

 

[sferrin]

Yep. That was the application but I think I saw it somewhere else.

 

[TomcatViP]

It's also easy to understand that harvesting energy from space (Celestial bodies or space vacuum) will be of a primordial strategic importance. (way easier to lase/beam from space than from earth)
Contested will also be the "shipping lines" where energy will be routed to us.
It might then be conceivable that futur (technological) wars will be the ones won by who secures the best their space harvesting energy facilities.

 

[Josh_TN]

Looking that far into the future, it seems likely there will be war over exploiting the resources in space and that it might spill over to Earth. One country loses in orbit, decides to take it dirt side where it has more of an advantage.

 

[bobbymike]

Hypersonic Weapons Budget Expected to Remain Steady

Hypersonic Weapons Budget Expected to Remain Steady

www.nationaldefensemagazine.org

 

[aonestudio]

Lockheed Martin releases first image of new hypersonic long-range missile system

Lockheed Martin Corp., Pentagon’s No.1 weapons supplier, posted the first public computer-generated graphics of Army’s Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW). According to the presentation, the new weapon system will consist of four transporter erector launchers (TEL), each installed on a modified...

defence-blog.com

 

[Bhurki]

Lockheed Martin releases first image of new hypersonic long-range missile system

Lockheed Martin Corp., Pentagon’s No.1 weapons supplier, posted the first public computer-generated graphics of Army’s Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW). According to the presentation, the new weapon system will consist of four transporter erector launchers (TEL), each installed on a modified...

defence-blog.com

Any estimate as to how much does the entire missile stack weighs? Diameter and length are ascertained to be 0.88m and 10m respectively. (Skybolt?!)

 

[stealthflanker]

Lockheed Martin releases first image of new hypersonic long-range missile system

Lockheed Martin Corp., Pentagon’s No.1 weapons supplier, posted the first public computer-generated graphics of Army’s Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW). According to the presentation, the new weapon system will consist of four transporter erector launchers (TEL), each installed on a modified...

defence-blog.com

Any estimate as to how much does the entire missile stack weighs? Diameter and length are ascertained to be 0.88m and 10m respectively. (Skybolt?!)

At least 8.5 Metric Tonne. Using quick estimate on E.Fleeman's tactical missile design book.

 

[bobbymike]

Lockheed agrees to buy hypersonics portion of i3
Lockheed Martin said today it has agreed to acquire the hypersonics portfolio of Huntsville, AL-based software and systems engineering company Integration Innovation, known as i3

 

[TomcatViP]

Also here (no paywall) :

Lockheed Martin to acquire i3 hypersonics portfolio

Lockheed Martin announced Oct. 9, 2020, the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire a portion of Integration Innovation Inc. (i3), a software and systems e

www.aerotechnews.com

 

[aonestudio]

“Hypersonic missiles are hitting their targets with a variance of only a mere 6 inches,” he said during his speech at the virtual opening ceremony Oct. 13.

McCarthy was referring to the Army and Navy’s successful hypersonic glide body flight test this year, which launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Kauai, Hawaii, on March 19, an Army spokesperson confirmed.

US-developed hypersonic missile hit within 6 inches of target, says Army secretary

The Army secretary hailed the hypersonic missile's accuracy in his opening speech at the annual AUSA conference

www.defensenews.com

 

[bobbymike]

HACM - Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile

Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile Becomes High-Priority USAF Project | Air & Space Forces Magazine

The Air Force is moving forward with a new Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile as one of its top two hypersonic weapons programs.

www.airforcemag.com

 

[Josh_TN]

“Hypersonic missiles are hitting their targets with a variance of only a mere 6 inches,” he said during his speech at the virtual opening ceremony Oct. 13.

McCarthy was referring to the Army and Navy’s successful hypersonic glide body flight test this year, which launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Kauai, Hawaii, on March 19, an Army spokesperson confirmed.

US-developed hypersonic missile hit within 6 inches of target, says Army secretary

The Army secretary hailed the hypersonic missile's accuracy in his opening speech at the annual AUSA conference

www.defensenews.com

Every guy thinks he's six inches...

That level of accuracy would seem to indicate a guidance system beyond GPS, or at least some kind of enhanced GPS with local corrections. It occurs to me that the projectile would benefit from having a large number of GPS satellites in the line of site over the course of its full trip at its altitude; perhaps this contributes to the higher positional accuracy? Minor in accuracies from one set of satellites to the next get averaged out?

 

[bobbymike]

“Hypersonic missiles are hitting their targets with a variance of only a mere 6 inches,” he said during his speech at the virtual opening ceremony Oct. 13.

McCarthy was referring to the Army and Navy’s successful hypersonic glide body flight test this year, which launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Kauai, Hawaii, on March 19, an Army spokesperson confirmed.

US-developed hypersonic missile hit within 6 inches of target, says Army secretary

The Army secretary hailed the hypersonic missile's accuracy in his opening speech at the annual AUSA conference

www.defensenews.com

Every guy thinks he's six inches...

That level of accuracy would seem to indicate a guidance system beyond GPS, or at least some kind of enhanced GPS with local corrections. It occurs to me that the projectile would benefit from having a large number of GPS satellites in the line of site over the course of its full trip at its altitude; perhaps this contributes to the higher positional accuracy? Minor in accuracies from one set of satellites to the next get averaged out?

As these are tests is it six inches to the aim point or six inches CEP? At those speeds I guess it probably doesn’t make a difference other than it appears hyper-accurate.

 

[Bhurki]

“Hypersonic missiles are hitting their targets with a variance of only a mere 6 inches,” he said during his speech at the virtual opening ceremony Oct. 13.

McCarthy was referring to the Army and Navy’s successful hypersonic glide body flight test this year, which launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Kauai, Hawaii, on March 19, an Army spokesperson confirmed.

US-developed hypersonic missile hit within 6 inches of target, says Army secretary

The Army secretary hailed the hypersonic missile's accuracy in his opening speech at the annual AUSA conference

www.defensenews.com

Every guy thinks he's six inches...

That level of accuracy would seem to indicate a guidance system beyond GPS, or at least some kind of enhanced GPS with local corrections. It occurs to me that the projectile would benefit from having a large number of GPS satellites in the line of site over the course of its full trip at its altitude; perhaps this contributes to the higher positional accuracy? Minor in accuracies from one set of satellites to the next get averaged out?

As these are tests is it six inches to the aim point or six inches CEP? At those speeds I guess it probably doesn’t make a difference other than it appears hyper-accurate.

6 inches is about 15cm, which sounds about right for military level GPS guidance.