HAWC hypersonic missile successfully tested

Developed by a team of scientists from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Lockheed Martin, and Aerojet Rocketdyne

, Hypersonic Air It has been announced that the second test flight of the Breathing Weapon Concept (HAWC) hypersonic missile has been successfully carried out.

Speeds exceeding Mach 5 have been reached

According to the information disclosed, the missile, powered by a scramjet engine, was launched from a “carrier plane”. Reaching speeds in excess of Mach 5, the missile continued its course at an altitude of approximately 20km (65,000ft) for 555km.

John Clark, Executive Vice President of Lockheed Martin Skunk Works: “Our work with DARPA and AFRL on the HAWC program demonstrates that air-breathing hypersonic systems are a cost-effective solution to address rapidly emerging threats to global security. The success of this flight test “This is proof that a strong partnership between government and industry is key to solving our nation’s toughest challenges and providing new capabilities to counter threats to U.S. and allied forces.” made statements.

Air-breathing vehicles, which use the air captured from the atmosphere to provide continuous propulsion, can both evade defense systems and allow rapid attacks thanks to their speed and maneuverability. Also, even if they don’t have high explosives, their kinetic energy can effectively destroy targets.