DARPA and US Air Force complete second hypersonic weapon flight test
Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept. (Photo: Northrop Grumman)
Raytheon and Northrop Grumman announced on 18 July that they have completed the second flight test of the scramjet-powered HAWC.
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the USAF have completed the second flight test of the scramjet-powered Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept (HAWC). The announcement was made by Raytheon Missiles & Defense and Northrop Grumman on 18 July.
This flight test applied the data and lessons from the first flight to mature the operationally relevant weapon concept design.
According to a press release by Northrop Grumman, the missile met all primary and secondary objectives, including demonstrating tactical-range capabilities.
During the flight test, after releasing the HAWC from an aircraft and accelerating to hypersonic speeds using the scramjet engine, the vehicle flew a trajectory designed to intentionally stress the weapon concept to explore its limits and further validate digital performance models.
‘These models, grounded in real-world flight data, are being used to accurately predict and increase performance as the system matures,’ the press release pointed out.
Northrop Grumman and Raytheon completed the first flight test of a scramjet-powered HAWC in September 2021.
You may also like
More from Defence Notes
-
![Intelligence innovation: From data overload to decision advantage (Podcast)]()
Intelligence innovation: From data overload to decision advantage (Podcast)
As militaries face an overwhelming flow of data, the challenge is shifting from collection to delivering fast, actionable insights that drive decision-making. Advances in AI and data integration are helping armed forces move beyond siloed systems to generate real-time intelligence across domains and allies.
-
![SAHA 2026 to Convene the Global Defence Ecosystem]()
SAHA 2026 to Convene the Global Defence Ecosystem
SAHA 2026 brings global defence and aerospace leaders to Istanbul for partnerships, launches, panels and high-value meetings.
-
![Teledyne FLIR adds GPS-denied 3D-mapping capabilities to its CBRN uncrewed platforms]()
Teledyne FLIR adds GPS-denied 3D-mapping capabilities to its CBRN uncrewed platforms
In a partnership with Emesent, Teledyne FLIR will equip its autonomous air, ground and detection systems with the Hovermap LiDAR payload in a move that highlights a broader market shift towards modular architectures, shared payloads and interoperability across platforms.
-
![US seeks 32% boost for missile defence budget with $23 billion earmarked for interceptors]()
US seeks 32% boost for missile defence budget with $23 billion earmarked for interceptors
The Pentagon’s proposed budget for the next fiscal year includes an impressive increase in the procurement of interceptors, with the number of the US Army’s PAC-3 MSE rounds expanding by 683%, the US Navy’s Standard Missile by 365% and the MDA’s SM-3 IIA by more than 1,000%.
-
![US Army partners with Global Military Products to surge munitions production]()
US Army partners with Global Military Products to surge munitions production
Global Military Products was selected by the US Army to operate the Quad Cities Cartridge Case Facility and ramp up the production of various calibre shell cases.
