Boeing (NYSE: BA), Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) and Raytheon Technologies (NYSE: RTX) have secured contracts from the U.S. Air Force to mature proposed “air-breathing” weapon systems for a hypersonic conventional cruise missile development project, according to separate award notices posted on SAM.gov.
USAF awarded $47.2 million to Boeing, $33.5 million to Lockheed and $33.7 million to Raytheon for the first phase of the Southern Cross Integrated Flight Research Experiment via sourcing procedures other than full and open competition.
The branch’s SCIFiRE program seeks missile technology capable of launching from a fighter or a bomber plane.
All three awards came more than six months after the Department of Defense introduced SCIFiRE as the second effort under DOD’s international research and development cooperation program known as Allied Prototyping Initiative.
The Pentagon teamed up with Australia’s defense science and technology group in late 2020 to cooperate in air-breathing hypersonic technology advancement activities with the goal of demonstrating full-size prototypes through flight tests.
