Current US hypersonic weapons projects. (General)

[greenmartian2017]

A manned hypersonic vehicle that either flies in low Earth orbit, or just about flies at that altitude (highest endo-atmospheric), has been a very attractive subject for US policy makers for a very long time, over time. Just because the declassified literature "dies out" by 1971 or 1972 doesn't mean the concept wasn't pursued beyond that date. It just means that government declassification officials have deemed that follow-ons to ISINGLASS aren't to be acknowledged, or to be known by the public at this time.

Even ISINGLASS seems to have fallen down in part on IR vulnerability analysis.

It's a recurring theme; you can find papers from the 80's on IR tracking of transatmospheric vehicles.

Detecting and tracking the much more modest SR-72 via a small sat constellation equipped with
some basic MWIR sensors looks quite achievable.

You are talking about 2000 K scramjet exhaust and IR spectra that's not going to be much attenuated
against spaceborne sensors at the typical scramjet altitudes.

This constellation probably isn't going to be transmitting fire control quality tracks but
accurate enough warning such that vulnerable sites can get their counter-ISR techniques in place.

I am aware of the IR factor. The speed of the vehicle was deemed such that it didn't much matter--no Soviet missile or missile intercept attempt would get close enough. Even with some lead detection time. This was projected through at least 1980.

See the set of overhead transparencies with this particular document dated to 1968. All the calculations were done. Soviet interception not viable. Not even with nuclear warhead detonations (although if it was a hydrogen bomb, there was some expectation that there was a potential likelihood for high irradiation of the pilot(s)). "If you don't announce yourself, they can't expect to know when you'll arrive."

https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP71B00822R000100070040-7.pdf

 

[marauder2048]

I am aware of the IR factor. The speed of the vehicle was deemed such that it didn't much matter--no Soviet missile or missile intercept attempt would get close enough. Even with some lead detection time. This was projected through at least 1980.

And this was essentially the same survivability analysis that had been presented to McMillan earlier.
And he (correctly) criticized it for assuming that the Russians couldn't develop radars that could
achieve 1 degree (or less) above the horizon radar look angles, reaction times comparable to Nike-X
and IR homing. Even track-via-missile, an early 60's development, would have been an extremely threatening
development.

 

[bobbymike]

From Inside Defense pay site

SSP director: CPS program remains 'on track' despite FY-21 funding cuts​

The Conventional Prompt Strike program -- the Navy and Army project to field an intermediate-range offensive hypersonic weapon by 2025 and 2023 respectively -- remains "on track" despite a nearly 40% funding cut imposed a few weeks ago to the Navy's $1 billion request in the fiscal year 2021 defense appropriations bill, according to a senior Navy official
—————————————————
Just the beginning of the cuts I’m afraid.

 

[Grey Havoc]

Indeed.

 

[Bhurki]

Can someone compile length, diameter, weight, range of all of the hypersonic missiles concerned with this thread?

 

[bobbymike]

Australia US Teaming to Develop High-Tech Cruise Missiles

Australia US Teaming to Develop High-Tech Cruise Missiles

www.nationaldefensemagazine.org

 

[sferrin]

From Inside Defense pay site

SSP director: CPS program remains 'on track' despite FY-21 funding cuts​

The Conventional Prompt Strike program -- the Navy and Army project to field an intermediate-range offensive hypersonic weapon by 2025 and 2023 respectively -- remains "on track" despite a nearly 40% funding cut imposed a few weeks ago to the Navy's $1 billion request in the fiscal year 2021 defense appropriations bill, according to a senior Navy official
—————————————————
Just the beginning of the cuts I’m afraid.

Funding cuts? I thought those were "imaginary". Hmmm.

 

[bobbymike]

EXCLUSIVE: Pentagon’s Hypersonics Director Rebuts The Critics

Independent experts and the Pentagon’s hypersonics R&D director tell us a study of hypersonics by the Union of Concerned Scientists overlooks the very real advantages the new weapons offer the US – and its adversaries.

breakingdefense.com

 

[bobbymike]

Don’t believe the hype about hypersonics

Full Page Reload

spectrum.ieee.org

 

[TomcatViP]

It's a stupid assessment of Hypersonics. Again, comparing those new weapons, like any other, in a static environment sketched in the past doesn't help.
Effectively, if both armies are standing each one in front of the other within a stabilized tactical situation where everyone enjoy perfect awareness of the movements etc... Etc... Time critical situations have no meanings. Better to bring back the Maginot line...

Now try to imagine a dynamic situation where both opponents manoeuvre at the scale of a continent with forces on one side on short supply in manpower, then time and range become an effector.
For example, instead of having to move an artillery unit in a zone close to 100 miles of your frontline operation every day, you can have a ship, offshore firing Hypersonics terminally guided shells 500 miles away that allows you to support a variety of units without the burden of a multitude of logistical train. And cut drastically the cost of your war effort.

Being deprived of Hypersonic tomorrow would be like it was sustaining your mechanized infantry with horses and carts yesterday.

 

[jsport]

In support of US hypersonic system development

Both China and Russia have already fielded hypersonic weapons with initial capabilities. It is therefore essential that the U.S. responds through development of effective defensive measures.

www.defensenews.com

 

[bobbymike]

US Army begins equipping first unit with hypersonic capability

The Army's ground-launched hypersonic battery is beginning to stand up.

www.defensenews.com

 

[Josh_TN]

Did the AGM-183 and HAWC tests just get canceled?

 

[bobbymike]

Hypersonic missile debate

https://aerospace.org/sites/default/files/2021-01/Wilson_HypersonicMissileDebate_20210112_1.pdf

 

[TMA1]

Hypersonic missile debate

https://aerospace.org/sites/default/files/2021-01/Wilson_HypersonicMissileDebate_20210112_1.pdf

interesting! new hypersonic weapons' are no gimmick. that said I agree with something they said in that paper that hypersonics are misunderstood in a way. we have had hypersonic weapons for awhile. we have had maneuvering reentry packages in development for decades. many tactical and strategic missiles have been developed to follow non ballistic trajectories for a long while. the term hypersonics is a bit misleading I think.

anyways I surely hope we dont take a weak or avoiding stance towards the new hypersonic weapons our enemies are developing, and I surely hope we done underestimate the capabilities of our enemies. Russia and especially China are extremely powerful and sadly in the last decade or two we have faltered in many areas as we turned into a global police and peacekeeping force.

 

[sferrin]

Did the AGM-183 and HAWC tests just get canceled?

No, that happened on Jan. 6th.

 

[sferrin]

Don’t believe the hype about hypersonics

Full Page Reload

spectrum.ieee.org

Yeah, they're so worthless that everybody else is trying to get them into service as fast as possible. Who pays for this garbage writing? (Oh, I think we know.)

 

[seruriermarshal]

Did the AGM-183 and HAWC tests just get canceled?

No, that happened on Jan. 6th.

Jan. 6th ? I can't find any information about that .

 

[bobbymike]

Cruise Missiles Rise To Top Of U.S. Weapons Agenda | Aviation Week Network

A diverse mix of hypersonic and subsonic cruise missiles is now in development.

aviationweek.com

 

[Bhurki]

Is this image of the LRHW accurate in terms of relative dimensions?

Because it comes up a lot shorter than would be expected for the range its required to provide.

Length is ~ 7m if diameter is 0.88m


Also,



Or is it missing a stage in each of these?

 

[bobbymike]

Isn’t it very similar to the Polaris A3? 34 ft long could carry 3 nukes 4600km. With the single glide body probably lighter payload range would increase accordingly.

UGM-27 Polaris - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[Josh_TN]

Polaris was a lot wider and would have had a dramatically greater volume of fuel. That said, I can't speak knowledgably to the range or length of CPS. Where did the second image come from that seems to depict a full up round being test fired? I've definitely never seen it before.

 

[sferrin]

Polaris was a lot wider and would have had a dramatically greater volume of fuel. That said, I can't speak knowledgably to the range or length of CPS. Where did the second image come from that seems to depict a full up round being test fired? I've definitely never seen it before.

Which "second image" are you referring to?

 

[Josh_TN]

View attachment 650552

Or is it missing a stage in each of these?

This image. I've not seen it before; not sure what is depicted.

 

[Bhurki]

View attachment 650552

Or is it missing a stage in each of these?

This image. I've not seen it before; not sure what is depicted.

My bad.
Its been plastered across all articles about LRHW test launch from last year.

The image is originally from 2011 AHW (Advanced Hypersonic Weapon) test.
It flew 3700 km.
The warhead (HGB) it carried is identical to the one proposed for IRCPS and LRHW.

 

[bring_it_on]

LRHW / CPS AUR has not yet flown in its operational configuration. Those flights, IIRC, are expected to happen this year (I believe this summer) and into next year (or it could be next year) starting with the Navy and then the Army. What is the range it is "expected to provide"? Has an official range been shared by either the Navy or Army? In general terms, they've described the current flight experiments as "more than 2,000 nm" but I don't remember seeing specific threshold and objective range figures for the CPS/LRHW.

 

[Josh_TN]

View attachment 650552

Or is it missing a stage in each of these?

This image. I've not seen it before; not sure what is depicted.

My bad.
Its been plastered across all articles about LRHW test launch from last year.

The image is originally from 2011 AHW (Advanced Hypersonic Weapon) test.
It flew 3700 km.
The warhead (HGB) it carried is identical to the one proposed for IRCPS and LRHW.

Thanks, I was wondering if the image was recent and represented the first AUP or not. I had thought the AHW used some flavor of an old Polaris missile, but perhaps I’m swapping the tests in my mind. CPS looks like it will be a smaller booster than the one uses in the 2017 test.

 

[bring_it_on]

Did they ever state that the 2000+ nm AHW test was a max range shot for that booster and BGV combo?

 

[zen]

34.5" diameter is closer to Pershing....
Though I'd expect the silo to be larger.

 

[Bhurki]

View attachment 650552

Or is it missing a stage in each of these?

This image. I've not seen it before; not sure what is depicted.

My bad.
Its been plastered across all articles about LRHW test launch from last year.

The image is originally from 2011 AHW (Advanced Hypersonic Weapon) test.
It flew 3700 km.
The warhead (HGB) it carried is identical to the one proposed for IRCPS and LRHW.

Thanks, I was wondering if the image was recent and represented the first AUP or not. I had thought the AHW used some flavor of an old Polaris missile, but perhaps I’m swapping the tests in my mind. CPS looks like it will be a smaller booster than the one uses in the 2017 test.

The same was also used for March 2020 test.


Can someone identify this rocket stack's dimensions? It is said to be dual stage.

 

[bobbymike]

Why are hypersonic weapons so important for America’s security?

Hypersonics are necessary, considering the scale and sophistication of adversary air defenses.

www.defensenews.com

U.S. Military Awards Contracts Striving To Take Lead In The Hypersonic Arms Race

While China and Russia have developed and fielded hypersonic weapons, the United States is currently trailing behind. However, in the past months, the United States military has awarded multiple large contracts to develop offensive and defensive hypersonic weapon capabilities.

www.forbes.com

 

[Grey Havoc]

Can someone identify this rocket stack's dimensions? It is said to be dual stage.

Looks similar to a certain SDI era experimental rocket. Likely not related though.

 

[bobbymike]

Why are hypersonic weapons so important for America’s security?

Hypersonics are necessary, considering the scale and sophistication of adversary air defenses.

www.defensenews.com

 

[Lc89]

StackPath

 

[Ronny]

 

[bobbymike]

B-52 Could Get New Hypersonic Missile: Global Strike Commander

"Certainly, we're in the in the conversation for the HACM as that gets developed," Global Strike Command head Gen. Timothy Ray said.

breakingdefense.com

 

[bobbymike]

Air Force About to Make First Hypersonic Missile Flight, After Recent Failure - Air Force Magazine

The AGM-183A Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon will make its first all-up flight within the next seven days, hypersonics experts revealed at vAWS.

www.airforcemag.com

 

[bobbymike]

Hypersonics: ARRW’s Booster Tests This Week – Carefully

As the services rush to field hypersonics, OSD’s top expert warns, they must not repeat sloppy mistakes that have marred past tests – and hypersonic cruise missiles may have more tactical value than easier-to-build boost-glide weapons.

breakingdefense.com

 

[TomcatViP]

SpaceX wins Air Force manufacturing research contract for hypersonic vehicle thermal shields - SpaceNews

The Air Force Research Laboratory awarded SpaceX an $8.5 million contract to investigate manufacturing techniques for heat shields that protect hypersonic vehicles in flight.

spacenews.com

 

[seruriermarshal]

ARRW = AGM-183A ?