US hypersonic weapons programme moves forward
Raytheon and DARPA have completed a successful baseline design review for the Tactical Boost Glide hypersonic weapons programme, the company announced on 29 July.
The review establishes the company's technical approach for a critical design review and moves the system a step closer to development and use. The company is working under a $63 million contract on the programme, which is a joint effort between DARPA and the US Air Force.
The US military is seeking hypersonic weapons to engage targets from longer ranges with shorter response times and with greater effectiveness than current weapon systems
Boost glide weapons use a rocket to accelerate the payload and achieve hypersonic speeds of velocities greater than Mach 5. During flight, the payload separates from the rocket and glides unpowered to its destination.
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