Hypersonic, as used by the weapons community, generally refers to the Mach 3.5 to
     Mach 8 range - about 2700 to 6100 miles per hour.
 
     These extraordinarily high velocities offer three distinct advantages.
 
     The first is a short interval between weapon launch and target impact.
     The second is greater penetration and destructive power.
     The third is that hypersonic weapons are difficult to detect and even more difficult
      to shoot down.
 
     To help the Navy and its sister services exploit these advantages, NAWCWPNS
     has instituted the Hypersonics Strike Weapons (HSW) Strategic Thrust.
     The hypersonic weapon's immense destructive power results from kinetic energy. An object
     striking a target at Mach 8 will generate 64 times the force of an object of the same mass
     striking the target at Mach 1. This phenomenon makes hypersonic weapons well suited to
     attacking hardened or deeply buried targets such as command bunkers or biological-weapon
     storage facilities.
 
     Several Navy, Air Force, NASA and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
     (DARPA) programs are studying technologies, designs and concepts of operations for
     hypersonic weapons. One purpose of the Hypersonic Weapons Strategic Thrust is to
     facilitate a coordinated approach to hypersonic weapons, not only across the Navy but
     throughout DoD. "We're building the framework for a collective-agreement approach to future
     DoD weapon systems," says Steve Lyda, leader of the HSW Strategic Thrust.
 
     The Office of Naval Research sponsors the Hypersonics Weapons Technology (HWT)
     Program and the Low-Cost Missile (LCM) Program. The HWT Program is investigating
     technologies necessary for effective weapon-system operation in the hypersonic realm. The
     LCM Program - commonly known as Fast Hawk - is developing an entry-level capability for
     a Mach 4 hypersonic weapon. Much of this technology is being developed and tested at
     NAWCWPNS. The Technology IPT for the HSW Thrust, under the direction of Mike
     Mumford, ensures that research and development efforts - including the Air Force, NASA
     and DARPA technology programs - are efficiently aligned.
 
     Both of these ONR programs will feed into the Hypersonic Strike (HyStrike) Program
     sponsored by the chief of naval operations (Capt. Robert Taylor, N88; Capt. Conrad
     Donahue, N87; and Capt. Dennis Stokowski, N86). At a recent Industry Information Day,
     RAdms. Dennis McGinn and Carlos Johnson, OPNAV N88, stated that HyStrike will begin
     the development of an operational hypersonic weapon that will be fielded in the 2005 to
     2012 time frame. The HSW Mission Analysis IPT, under Jim DeSanti's lead, is helping to
     define the requirements for the weapon.
 
     A unique aspect of the Navy programs is that their goal is a single hypersonic strike weapon
     that will be launchable from air, surface and subsurface platforms. "This is a first-time
     collaboration between these three communities to develop a common weapon system for
     time-critical and deeply buried targets," notes Lyda. "It will result in tremendously increased
     operations effectiveness as well as life-cycle cost saving." The HSW Thrust's Integration IPT,
     led by Mark Reynolds, is investigating the issues associated with weapon/platform integration
     as well as with integration of the weapon into the overall battlespace plan.
     DARPA is engaged in hypersonic weapon activities through a program called the Affordable
     Rapid Response Missile Development (ARRMD). Emphasizing multiple launch platforms and
     the use of off-board sensors, ARRMD is envisioned as a multiservice weapon.
 
     Air Force programs at Wright-Patterson and Eglin Air Force Bases are also investigating
     hypersonic weapons. NAWCWPNS HSW Thrust personnel have been talking with Air
     Force representatives in preparation for the development of a Memorandum of Agreement to
     formalize a cross-service, coordinated approach to hypersonics.
     Aerothermic heating, caused by the friction of air passing the weapon body, is one area of
     intensive research. At Mach 4, as the hypersonic weapon passes through the lower
     atmosphere in the terminal phase of its flight, its surface reaches about 1200 degrees
     Fahrenheit. This level is within the tolerance range of new titanium and inconel materials. At
     Mach 6, however, the surface temperatures exceed 2800 F and at Mach 8 over 5600 F; skin
     materials, as well as internal temperature control, become a much larger issue.
 
     As hypersonic weapons mature, they will require thorough testing at each development stage.
     NAWCWPNS already possesses a variety of facilities, such as the Aeroheat Test Facility
     (T-Range), for component testing. As in the current analysis and research efforts,
     complementary organizations and facilities at NAWCAD and various Air Force and Army
     installations will also be major participants in the test programs.
 
     Flight-testing hypersonic weapons calls for unique range capabilities. Because of the high
     speed and high operational altitudes, the weapons could create a large sonic-boom footprint.
     NAWCWPNS' Sea Range and Land Range can accommodate these tests, and negotiations
     are under way with the FAA to establish a special hypersonic corridor between the two
     ranges.
 
     When fielded, the hypersonic strike weapon will have a major positive impact on battlespace
     management. The weapon's greatly decreased time to target will give the command, control,
     communications, computers and intelligence (C4I) components more time to search for and
     identify time-critical threats. Powerful kinetic penetrators will defeat the enemy's tactic of
     burrowing deeper or building stronger bunkers. And the ability to take out threat weapons
     before they are launched will increase U.S. and allied survivability.
     efficiently, cost effectively - and soon.
 
                                                       BACK