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| Pentagon Reveals US Plans To Develop Hypersonic Aircraft Technology |
Washington - The United States Department of Defense has asked private companies to submit proposals for high-speed test aircraft for the military. According to the Pentagon, companies must submit their proposals to the US Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), which is pushing for commercial technology adoption in the military, by September 16.
The Pentagon is seeking to reduce pressure on its testing infrastructure through a program called Hypersonic and High-Cadence Airborne Testing Capability. Earlier, Barry Kirkendall, DIU's technical director for space, told news portal C4ISRNET that the project aims to clear some of the deadlocks that have slowed the development of hypersonic programs in recent years.
Each aircraft must meet a number of criteria, including reaching speeds of Mach 5+, have a maneuverable or non-ballistic flight profile, be able to collect near real-time data, and accommodate at least two payloads with at least two deployment options.
DIU's move to enlist private sector support comes amid concerns that the US may lag behind Russia and China in the development of hypersonic technology. However, in mid-August, US Undersecretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks claimed that was not the case.
Countries around the world have focused on developing hypersonics, given that such weapons can bypass modern air defenses using maneuverable glide vehicles that make their flight paths almost unpredictable. However, in late June, the Pentagon ran into trouble when a US test of a hypersonic weapon failed due to "anomalies" that prevented a full test of the system.