DARPA APO Next Generation Responsive Strike (NextRS)

[GeorgeA]

DARPA NextRS "Y-plane" hypersonic strike concept:

• 30,000-38,000 lbf TBCC
• Conventional fuel
• Metallic construction

DARPA Eyes Hypersonic Striker As Air Force Studies Long-Term Options | Aviation Week Network

A reusable hypersonic Next-Generation Responsive Strike prototype could be commissioned by the end of the decade.

aviationweek.com

(May be paywalled.)

 

[Moose]

A thread to track development of a USAF hypersonic bomber effort from the Aerospace Projects Office, as reported by AvWeek:

The Debrief: Hypersonic Bomber Emerges As Office’s Next Goal After NGAD | Aviation Week Network

A secretive DARPA office has a new project: a large hypersonic bomber prototype. The Aerospace Projects Office keeps a low profile, even by DARPA standards.

aviationweek.com

 

[quellish]

A thread to track development of a USAF hypersonic bomber effort from the Aerospace Projects Office, as reported by AvWeek:

The Debrief: Hypersonic Bomber Emerges As Office’s Next Goal After NGAD | Aviation Week Network

A secretive DARPA office has a new project: a large hypersonic bomber prototype. The Aerospace Projects Office keeps a low profile, even by DARPA standards.

aviationweek.com

Sadly the double secret probation level subscription is required to view that article. A standard AvWeek account does not grant access.

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

Summary of key points?

 

[martinbayer]

Inquisitive aerospace engineers want to know - prove your moxy!

 

[dark sidius]

Sadly the double secret probation level subscription is required to view that article. A standard AvWeek account does not grant access.

Woaw.

 

[Moose]

Summary of key points?

From a subscriber:

• Project is aimed at penetrating advanced air defenses in the Asia Pacific region using long range, hypersonic speeds, and stealth.
• Speeds in excess of Mach 5 (duh) but no more detail on performance.
• Lockheed's TBCC SR-72 concept is described as a "key inspiration" for the project and LockMart is mentioned as the key industry collaborator.

 

[starviking]

From a subscriber:

• Project is aimed at penetrating advanced air defenses in the Asia Pacific region using long range, hypersonic speeds, and stealth.
• Speeds in excess of Mach 5 (duh) but no more detail on performance.
• Lockheed's TBCC SR-72 concept is described as a "key inspiration" for the project and LockMart is mentioned as the key industry collaborator.

Hypersonic speed and stealth? Traditionally thought to be mutually exclusive.

Is it going to be bimodal? Hypersonic transit and slower stealth ingress? Or vice-versa? Ramp up the speed to make terminal targeting difficult?

How to preserve stealth coatings? High speed at extreme altitude only, lowering heat load? Active cooling?

Or stealth baked into the airframe?

Or even like the shuttle - one side designed to take the high heat load, the other more stealthy? Would involve a roll to switch between modes. And I’d hate to think of what the disturbed airflow would do to the engine.

 

[dark sidius]

From a subscriber:

• Project is aimed at penetrating advanced air defenses in the Asia Pacific region using long range, hypersonic speeds, and stealth.
• Speeds in excess of Mach 5 (duh) but no more detail on performance.
• Lockheed's TBCC SR-72 concept is described as a "key inspiration" for the project and LockMart is mentioned as the key industry collaborator.

Thank you for the informations realy interesting some sort of SR-72 follow on.

 

[Training_Dummy]

Project Mayhem antecedents or separate effort? Presumably this integrates some sort of combined cycle powerplant coupled with some material sciences breakthrough for the skin - lots of schematic level info on TBCC but the material sciences side is a blacker box for me

 

[Moose]

Project Mayhem antecedents or separate effort? Presumably this integrates some sort of combined cycle powerplant coupled with some material sciences breakthrough for the skin - lots of schematic level info on TBCC but the material sciences side is a blacker box for me

My understanding of Mayhem was that its more of a D-21, only hypersonic and multirole. This APO effort seems more like a crewed aircraft.

 

[Scott Kenny]

Even if you can build RF-stealth coatings and structures that can survive Mach 5 temperatures, I don't see how they're going to deal with the thermal signature.

 

[NMaude]

I don't see how they're going to deal with the thermal signature.

At hypersonic speeds wouldn't the aircraft also be enveloped partially or fully by a plasma-sheath of ionised air?

 

[flateric]

...

 

[martinbayer]

Maybe it's just me (once again, English is only my third language), but to me *hypersonic* implies *sustained* powered flight in that speed regime, rather than just passing through decelerating in reentry on your way down, so why drag BOR-6 into the discussion? Both STS and Buran demonstrated that full scale unpowered reentry capability, but that's not how I would understand a hypersonic bomber to operate. What gives?

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

...

B. Aerospace Projects Office

The Aerospace Projects Office (APO), working in close partnership with Air Force
Research Laboratory (AFRL) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
(NASA), develops and demonstrates technologies which enable Next Generation
Responsive Strike (Next RS) air platforms. APO envisions reusable hypersonic aircraft
attributes providing future multi-mission strike/ISR capabilities against targets protected
by advanced air defense systems. APO is seeking innovative technologies that close the
gap between the state-of-the- art in reusable hypersonics and the level of technical
maturity required to initiate a NextRS Y-Plane design and development program later this
decade.

APO Relevant Technology Area:

APO recognizes that a full suite of aircraft and mission systems technologies are needed
to eventually field a NextRS weapon system. APO’s focus is strictly on aircraft
technology development and demonstrations that reduce risk in specific technical areas to
enable future design of reusable hypersonic aircraft. These aircraft technologies will be
compatible with the hypersonic environment, modern avionics power/thermal needs and
aircraft-like life cycles and time scales. Areas of interest include:

1. Structures and Materials – technologies for high temperature metallic materials and
structural concepts that allow design of thermally driven, weight-efficient airframes.

2. High Speed Weapon Separation – technologies that allow weapons, weapon bays
and ejection systems to accommodate hypersonic separation from aircraft and flyout
to the target.

3. Dual mode propulsion – technologies that allow continuous powered operation of a
Turbine Based Combined Cycle (TBCC) propulsion system over the entire flight
envelope.

4. Power Generation – technologies that allow power generation sufficient to support a
modern avionics and sensor suite during all periods of flight.

5. Thermal Management Systems – technologies that allow integrated solutions to
managing the thermal environment of the aircraft and propulsion system.

6. High Mach Turbine Engine – technologies that allow efficient TBCC operations
through ascending and descending mode transition without the need for water
injection.

 

[flateric]

...

 

[Scott Kenny]

APO is seeking innovative technologies that close the
gap between the state-of-the- art in reusable hypersonics and the level of technical
maturity required to initiate a NextRS Y-Plane design and development program later this
decade.

Y-plane? As in prototype/EMD levels? YF-12/YF-22/YF-23?

 

[dark sidius]

Y-plane? As in prototype/EMD levels? YF-12/YF-22/YF-23?

Don't you think there is demonstrators out there since the Darpa Falcon program ?

 

[quellish]

Don't you think there is demonstrators out there since the Darpa Falcon program ?

No. Why would there be?

 

[dark sidius]

No. Why would there be?

Because the program start in 2006 a long time ago.... Today it is the same program with a different name.