HAWC (Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept) and HACM (Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile)

As a reminder: cracking goal is to lower the molecular mass of the burnt species as, in the nozzle, the terminal velocity reached by the propulsive gases is inversly proportional to their molecular masses.
 


TUCSON, Ariz. – July 18, 2022 – Raytheon Missiles & Defense, a Raytheon Technologies (NYSE: RTX) business, in partnership with Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC), successfully completed its second flight test of the scramjet-powered Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept, or HAWC, for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the U.S. Air Force.

This flight test applied the data and lessons learned from the first flight to mature the operationally relevant weapon concept design. The test met all primary and secondary objectives, including demonstrating tactical range capabilities.

“The test demonstrated how we’ve rapidly matured affordable scramjet technology, which is the basis for air-breathing weapons,” said Colin Whelan, president of Advanced Technology for Raytheon Missiles & Defense. “Our second HAWC flight test success is an important milestone for our nation as we advance hypersonic systems.”

During the flight test, after releasing HAWC from an aircraft and accelerating to hypersonic speeds using the scramjet engine, the vehicle flew a trajectory that engineers designed to intentionally stress the weapon concept to explore its limits and further validate digital performance models. These models, grounded in real-world flight data, are being used to accurately predict and increase performance as the system matures.

“The second flight test is a big step toward scramjet technology being mission ready,” said Dan Olson, vice president and general manager, weapon Systems, Northrop Grumman. “Nearly twenty years of scramjet propulsion research and development have come to fruition to significantly advance our nation’s weapon capabilities.”
 
Two-for-two: Hypersonic missile passes second consecutive test
Successful tests confirm industry team's digital design and model accuracy
August 16, 2022

A hypersonic cruise missile co-developed by Raytheon Technologies has passed its second flight test in a row – an important milestone in the U.S. Department of Defense’s plan to field weapons that travel faster than five times the speed of sound.
The test, conducted in July 2022, featured a Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept, with minor improvements informed by its earlier successful test in September 2021. Its performance in the most recent test – it dropped from an aircraft and accelerated beyond Mach 5 – met the predictions of the company’s data models.

"Advancing our nation's hypersonic capabilities is a critical national imperative, and this was an important step forward," said Wes Kremer, president of Raytheon Missiles & Defense, a Raytheon Technologies business. "Having back-to-back successful flight tests gives us even greater confidence in the technical maturity of our HAWC operational prototype."
 
Final Flight of HAWC Program Screams Through the Sky
1/30/2023

The joint DARPA and U.S. Air Force Hypersonic Airbreathing Weapon Concept (HAWC) completed yet another successful flight test. The Lockheed Martin version of the missile, with its Aerojet Rocketdyne scramjet, capped a program that accomplished all of its initial objectives. It was the final flight test for HAWC, which is providing critical data to inform Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) hypersonic technology maturation efforts.

“This month’s flight added an exclamation point to the most successful hypersonic airbreathing flight test program in US history,” said Walter Price, an Air Force deputy for the HAWC program. “The things we’ve learned from HAWC will certainly enhance future U.S. Air Force capabilities.”

The Lockheed Martin missile again flew at speeds greater than Mach 5, higher than 60,000 feet, and farther than 300 nautical miles. This latest flight demonstrated improved capabilities and performance. The nation’s hypersonic portfolio now has two feasible hypersonic airbreathing missile designs (Lockheed Martin and Raytheon) to improve and mature in the future.

“The HAWC program created a generation of new hypersonic engineers and scientists,” said Andrew “Tippy” Knoedler, the HAWC program manager. “HAWC also brought a wealth of data and progress to the airbreathing hypersonic community. The industry teams attacked the challenge of scramjet-powered vehicles in earnest, and we had the grit and luck to make it work.”

Even though the HAWC program has executed the final phase of the program, there is still data to analyze and more opportunities to mature the technology. DARPA plans to continue that maturation in the More Opportunities with HAWC (MOHAWC) program by building and flying more vehicles that build upon HAWC’s advances. Those missiles will expand the operating envelope of the scramjet and provide technology on-ramps for future programs of record.

“We had our share of difficulties,” said Knoedler. “Through a pandemic, a strained supply chain, and atmospheric rivers, our industry partners forged ahead, mitigating the risks where they could and accepting others. They delivered on their promises, proving the feasibility of the concept.”
 
Interesting that the missile isn’t depicted with a booster…I’ve been hoping for some kind of render of the entire HAWC stack. It also is pictured as having a very different length to width ratio than the X-51 cruiser, though probably not worth reading too much into a marketing video.
 
I wouldn't like to say Josh_TN, on the other hand I want it to be something new.
 
Is there any indication as to whether the model in the foreground is to scale? I assume that AGM-88G/SiAW is full sized.
I would say no, because that would make it shorter than a sidewinder. Probably more related to exhibition space.


On zoom:

1694719953223.png
 
I would say no, because that would make it shorter than a sidewinder. Probably more related to exhibition space.


On zoom:

View attachment 707789

I was just going to mention that. It seems to say "artists concept" so there's no guarantee it even resembles the actual missile, much less that it is to scale.
 

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