Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile

American air-launched scramjet powered hypersonic cruise missile

Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM)

Type| Hypersonic air-launched cruise missile
Place of origin| United States
Australia
Service history
In service| In development
Used by| United States Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
Production history
Designer| RTX Corporation
Northrop Grumman
Specifications

* * *

Engine| Scramjet

Operational
range

| 1,000 nmi (1,900 km)[1][2]
Maximum speed | Mach 8 (2.7 km/s; 9,800 km/h; 6,100 mph)[2][3][4]

Launch
platform

| F-15E Strike Eagle[5]
F/A-18F Super Hornet[6]

The Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM) is a scramjet-powered hypersonic air-launched cruise missile project, the successor of the Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept (HAWC) and the SCIFiRE hypersonic programs.[7]

Technology developed for the HAWC demonstrator was used to influence the design of the HACM, a U.S. Air Force Program of Record to create a scramjet-powered hypersonic missile it could deploy as an operational weapon.[8]

In December 2021, Raytheon Technologies was awarded a $985 million contract to continue its HACM development.[9]

The contract to develop HACM further was awarded to Raytheon in September 2022.[10] HACM will use a Northrop Grumman scramjet.[11][12] It is designed to be smaller than the AGM-183 ARRW and able to fly along “vastly different trajectories” than the boost-glide ARRW. [13]

The system will give the US military "tactical flexibility to employ fighters to hold high-value, time-sensitive targets at risk, while maintaining bombers for other strategic targets."[5][14][15][16] Following the U.S. Air Force's decision to not pursue procurement of ARRW in March 2023, the HACM became the service's only hypersonic weapon program.[17] Though the USAF confirmed that they would not be purchasing any hypersonic weapons in FY 2024, the budget request for the upcoming fiscal year includes $380 million for R&D on the HACM,[9] followed by a proposed $517 million in FY 2025.[13] The United States hopes to have the missile in operational capacity by FY 2027.[18]

The United States Air Force has stated that Australian testing facilities will be used for testing of HACM.[19][20]

## Future Operators

[edit]

United States

* United States Air Force \- F-15E Strike Eagle

Australia

* Royal Australian Air Force \- F/A-18F Super Hornet[21]

## See also

[edit]

* Hypersonic Air Launched Offensive Anti-Surface
* 3M22 Zircon
* ASALM
* Kh-90
* ASN4G

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Trevithick, Joseph. "B52 needs new pylons to carry max load of hypersonic missiles". The Warzone.
2. ^ a b Tegler, Eric. "Is DOD's approach to buying hypersonic weapons too expensive?". Forbes.
3. ^ "U.S. Hypersonic Weapons and Alternatives" (PDF). Congressional Budget Office.
4. ^ "Hypersonic missile integration with aircraft". August 14, 2023.
5. ^ a b Bugos, Shannon. "First U.S. Hypersonic Deployment on Track for 2023". ArmsControl.org.
6. ^ "Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile to be integrated on RAAF Super Hornets - Australian Defence Magazine". www.australiandefence.com.au. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
7. ^ "Air Force announces hypersonic missile contract award". Eglin Air Force Base.[permanent dead link]
8. ^ "Successful HAWC Test Doesn't End DARPA's Hypersonic Scramjet Efforts". Air Force Magazine. July 22, 2022.
9. ^ a b Leone, Dario (March 22, 2023). "The USAF Won't Purchase Hypersonic Missiles in 2024". The Aviation Geek Club. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
10. ^ "US Air Force selects Raytheon Missiles & Defense, Northrop Grumman to deliver first hypersonic air-breathing missile". RTX.com. September 22, 2022.
11. ^ "Raytheon/Northrop Grumman team selected for HACM hypersonic weapon". Janes Information Services. September 26, 2022. Archived from the original on September 26, 2022.
12. ^ "US Air Force Selects Raytheon Missiles & Defense, Northrop Grumman to Deliver First Hypersonic Air-Breathing Missile". Northrop Grumman Newsroom.
13. ^ a b Losey, Stephen (March 19, 2024). "US Air Force conducts final test of Lockheed's hypersonic missile". Defense News. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
14. ^ "First U.S. Hypersonic Deployment on Track for 2023 | Arms Control Association". www.armscontrol.org. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
15. ^ Losey, Stephen (March 28, 2023). "ARRW hypersonic missile test failed, US Air Force admits". C4ISRNet. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
16. ^ Audrey Decker (28 Mar 2023) Failed Hypersonic Test Dims Air Force View of Lockheed Missile Air Force R&D funding for ARRW and HACM tests is $150 million and $380 million, respectively. "ARRW and HACM are just two of the U.S. military's hypersonic efforts; in all, the Pentagon is requesting $11 billion for hypersonic R&D in 2024"
17. ^ Air Force Pulls Plug On Much-Hyped Hypersonic Missile. The Drive/The War Zone. 30 March 2023.
18. ^ "Air Force announces hypersonic missile contract award". Air Force. September 22, 2022. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
19. ^ "Air Force announces hypersonic missile contract award". Air Force. September 22, 2022. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
20. ^ Trevithick, Joseph (June 18, 2024). "Australian F/A-18F Super Hornets To Test Launch U.S. Air Force's Hypersonic Cruise Missiles". The War Zone. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
21. ^ "Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile to be integrated on RAAF Super Hornets - Australian Defence Magazine". www.australiandefence.com.au. Retrieved July 12, 2024.

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