Defence Online

Under this contract, the Raytheon Missiles & Defense and Northrop Grumman team will deliver operationally ready missiles to the USAF.

Wes Kremer, President of Raytheon Missiles & Defense, said: “Raytheon Missiles & Defense continues to be at the forefront of hypersonic weapon and air-breathing technology development.

“With advanced threats emerging around the globe, the Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile will provide our warfighters a much-needed capability.”

The Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile is an air-breathing, scramjet powered munition. Scramjet engines use high vehicle speed to forcibly compress incoming air before combustion, which enables sustained flight at hypersonic speeds – Mach 5 or greater. By traveling at these speeds, hypersonic weapons, like HACM, are able to reach their targets more quickly than similar traditional missiles, allowing them to potentially evade defensive systems.

Mary Petryszyn, Corporate Vice President and President, Northrop Grumman Defense Systems, said: “The Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile creates a new class of strategically important weapons for the US military.

“Our scramjet propulsion technology is ushering in a new era for faster, more survivable and highly capable weapons.”

Raytheon Technologies and Northrop Grumman have been working together since 2019 to develop, produce and integrate Northrop Grumman’s scramjet engines onto Raytheon’s air-breathing hypersonic weapons.

Their combined efforts enable both companies to produce air-breathing hypersonic weapons, the next generation of tactical missile systems.

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