US Air Force makes its choice on air-launched hypersonic missiles
A Northrop Grumman scramjet engine will power the Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile from Raytheon. (Image: Northrop Grumman)
Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missiles will arm USAF fighters to deliver a standoff or near-standoff attack capability.
The USAF has chosen Raytheon and Northrop Grumman jointly to develop and deliver operationally ready air-launched Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missiles (HACMs) after awarding a $985 million contract on 22 September.
The Raytheon/Northrop Grumman proposal was selected ahead of designs from Boeing and Lockheed Martin.
Derived from the Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept demonstrator, HACM is a USAF programme of record that is also connected to the US-Australian Southern Cross Integrated Flight Research Experiment (SCIFiRE).
Northrop Grumman is providing the necessary scramjet technology into the hypersonic weapon itself, for which Raytheon is responsible.
The two partners have cooperated since 2019 on developing and producing an air-breathing hypersonic weapon powered by a scramjet.
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