1997 Navy Advanced Missile

[flateric]

http://crgis.ndc.nasa.gov/historic/Test_493:_BTA_Missile_Model

 

[quellish]

Good find

 

[quellish]

http://crgis.ndc.nasa.gov/historic/Test_493:_BTA_Missile_Model

My best guess at this point is that this is a waverider, with both a solid fuel stage and a ramjet. I have not yet found any unclassified Navy or DARPA program from this time period that could have produced this.

 

[mz]

Strange location for the wind tunnel holder arm so far forward. Many of these models are just testing some particular body part mind you so this thing might have wings and the afterbody is being refined here...

But why do you think it's not a relatively conventional solid fueled missile, just stealthy?

 

[quellish]

Strange location for the wind tunnel holder arm so far forward. Many of these models are just testing some particular body part mind you so this thing might have wings and the afterbody is being refined here...

But why do you think it's not a relatively conventional solid fueled missile, just stealthy?

The nozzles and shaping are a giveaway. The upper surface in the photo is a dead ringer for a cone derived waverider.
If it's supposed to be stealthy, I can't find an aspect from which it would be VLO.

 

[flateric]

link is updated with a test plan pdf