Air Force Seeks Info on Future Hypersonic Missile Tech

The U.S. Air Force is looking for potential sources of information on systems engineering and integration requirements for an air-launched hypersonic cruise missile ahead of planned preliminary design review activities next fiscal year.

A notice posted Monday on the beta SAM website states that the Air Force is conducting market research on concepts for an open-architecture, air-breathing hypersonic weapon with solid rocket boosters intended to be launched from fighter and bomber aircraft.

The Air Force plans to select a small business with the capacity to conduct digital- and model-based engineering work to support manufacturing, testing and sustainment of the cruise missile.

According to a Flight Global report published Thursday, the Air Force previously partnered with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency for a similar weapon known as the Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept.

A team comprised of Raytheon Technologies (NYSE: RTX) and Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC) as well as a Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) and Aerojet Rocketdyne team submitted designs for the HAWC program.

Interested parties may submit proposals for the new hypersonics effort through May 11.

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