Artist’s rendering of a scramjet powered hypersonic missile
© Raytheon Missiles & Defense
Die US Navy is in a hurry to get a new hypersonic weapon. It has now awarded 2 contracts to develop a new missile, reports The Drive.
One is required Antischiffsraketewhich flies at hypersonic speeds and is launched by fighter jets. Raytheon and Lockheed Martin were commissioned to develop it. Both are to deliver prototypes that the Navy is testing. The better rocket is then fully developed and purchased. The Navy pays for the development as a whole $116 million. It is not known which company will receive how much.
Possible problems with the development of ship-based hypersonic missile
What is unusual is how quickly the development has to happen. The Navy intends to do this through rapid prototype testing and “aggressive schedule execution.” The Navy has explicitly said the hypersonic missile must no later than 2029 be operational. This suggests that they are having trouble developing their hypersonic missiles, which are launched from ships and submarines.
In principle, it is easier to launch a hypersonic weapon from aircraft. The ones used Scramjet engines are only efficient at higher speeds. A fighter jet is already flying at supersonic speed, or almost supersonic speed. When launched from a ship, however, the rocket must first be accelerated to supersonic speed before the scramjet engine can reach hypersonic speed (Make 5 or more) accelerated. In addition, a launch device must be developed into which the new rocket fits and from which it can be safely launched, so that the heat from the engine does not damage the ship.
Hypersonic Air-Launched Offensive Anti-Surface Warfare
The new rocket is called the project HALO (Hypersonic Air-Launched Offensive Anti-Surface Warfare). Within the Navy it is also referred to as OASuW level 2 (Offensive Anti-Surface Warfare). Stage 1 is the one built by Lockheed Martin AGM-158C. This is a long-range anti-ship missile (LRASM), which flies at subsonic speeds, but has stealth properties and is therefore difficult to detect by radar. This is also fired from aircraft.
According to the Navy, the development of HALO is urgent because of the increasing threat situation by the Navy in disputed areas. It is quite clear that this means a looming conflict with China in the Pacific. China itself regularly reports breakthroughs in the development of hypersonic weapons. While this could be largely propaganda, the US does not want to risk lagging behind in this armaments development.
The Airplane Question
Details on HALO’s requirements, such as range, actual maximum speed, and warhead weight, are not yet available. It is also unclear on which aircraft it will be used. Here are primarily airplanes in question, by aircraft carriers off and can reach supersonic speeds (at least Mach 1). It will probably be F/A-18E/F be, but it will be phased out in the early 2030s.
Der Stealth-Fighter F-35C only has its maximum stealth ability when the weapons are carried in the internal bay. However, the new missile could be too large for it and may therefore have to be attached to one of the external weapon stations.
The 6th generation stealth fighter, the F/A-XX, could solve this problem with a larger internal bay. It is currently being developed but may not be fully operational until the mid-2030s or even later. It is intended to replace the F/A-18E/F.
A further development of the AGM-158C should bridge the time until the HALO is ready for use. This will AGM-158-C-3 or LRASM-ER called. It has a longer range than the regular variant and could possibly also be used against land targets.
