By 2021 year. Unified hypersonic program of the army, air force and navy
Already in 2021, the Pentagon plans to adopt the first workable models of promising hypersonic weapons. Now these projects are at different stages, and their current status gives grounds for optimistic assessments. Of greatest interest is the joint program of the army, the Air Force and the US Navy, which united several previous projects.
At present, several variants of hypersonic combat systems of various kinds are being worked out in the USA. At the same time, until last year, there were slightly more such projects. In 2018, Pentagon plans were repeatedly mentioned in foreign media to combine several current projects into a common program, thereby saving resources and time.
In October, it became aware of such a decision. The Army Advanced Hypersonic Weapon (AHW) program, the Hypersonic Conventional Strike Weapon (HCSW) air force project and the Conventional Prompt Strike Navy (CPS) program were combined. Further work was proposed to be carried out within a single program in the interests of all three structures.
At that time, some details of the new hypersonic program became known. In a single project, it is planned to use the best practices for all three previous ones, choosing the most successful and appropriate tasks. The result of the work should be a whole family of unified hypersonic systems suitable for operation in the army, navy and in the air force.
According to different sources, it is proposed to take a ready planning hypersonic combat unit from an existing project and, with minimal modifications, make several missile systems for different types of troops out of it. The advantages of this approach are obvious. The time of project development is reduced, and in addition, the possibility of obtaining maximum unification appears. Thus, a weapon with the desired parameters will appear earlier and will be cheaper.
The Pentagon is in no hurry to publish the technical details of the new project, which leads to well-known results. So, last year, the words of the representative of the US Air Force about the test results for various programs and their consequences were actively discussed. It is important that such statements were made before News on the integration of the project.
It was claimed that the AHW Army Planning Combat Combat proved to be better than the HCSW for the Air Force in testing. In this regard, a proposal appeared to take the "army" product, supplement it "aviation»A booster rocket and arm the B-52H bomber with such a system. The possibility of creating similar weapons for the ground forces and naval forces was also mentioned.
In recent months, various unconfirmed reports have appeared on the further development of the combined hypersonic program. They allow us to present an approximate picture, but its authenticity remains questionable. However, its main points seem plausible and can be further confirmed.
The basis for the promising hypersonic ammunition, intended for three types of troops, is supposed to take the product AHW, has already passed the test and well-proven. It will be finalized taking into account the test results and the specifics of future use. The United States has extensive experience in the creation and application of new materials, as well as the layout and other solutions necessary to create hypersonic systems. This requires the creation of some new units.
At the end of April, 2019, the Sandia National Laboratories, reported on their participation in the development of new weapons. One of the branches of this organization is developing the means of navigation and guidance for future weapons. The possibility of creating an autopilot with elements of artificial intelligence is being considered. He will carry out flight control, including in difficult conditions and in a completely autonomous mode. Automation will have to quickly make the right decisions, not hoping for the participation of man.
For a finalized AHW product, several carriers will be needed. So, for the Air Force is required to create a booster rocket that is compatible with existing and prospective bombers. Probably, its carriers will be the existing B-52H and promising B-21. Land Forces and the Navy require a rocket, providing intercontinental firing range. In the case of the fleet, the rocket must be compatible with existing and developed submarines. Probably, these will be ships of the types Ohio and Columbia.
The AHW hypersonic aircraft made the first test flight in 2011, and further tests took place. There is reason to believe that by now this project has advanced far enough, and its revised version will be able to meet the requirements for real weapons. Nevertheless, it is obvious that processing the existing technology demonstrator into a practically applicable product is not the easiest task.
Also in the framework of the new program you need to create new missiles, and in addition, the adaptation of platforms for such weapons will be needed. All these works are not very simple, they are also associated with financial spending and will take some time.
According to last year's reports, the Pentagon wants to get the first combat-ready hypersonic complexes already in the 2021 year. Given the previous history three joint projects, it can be assumed that such terms are quite real. At the same time, the complexity of the required work makes it possible to doubt the possibility of meeting these deadlines.
The most plausible at the moment looks like the next forecast. The American industry will be able to create the required weapons and, perhaps, even fulfill all the wishes of the Pentagon - first of all, in terms of the unification of missile systems for different types of troops. However, such a program will go beyond the established schedule and will not be able to manage only with the initially allocated finances. This happened regularly in the past and the present, and therefore there is no reason to believe that the most difficult and promising project will end with different results.
Obviously, the new version of AHW and other hypersonic systems are being developed as a response to the threat in the form of similar weapons from Russia and China. The Russian avant-garde hypersonic missile system will begin to arrive on duty this year, and in the future it is expected that the Chinese WU-14 / DF-ZF will be adopted. The USA has a reason to consider itself lagging behind in this direction.
By adopting its own complex, the United States will be able to ensure parity with possible opponents. Russia and China, in turn, should consider AHW as a threat to their security and take the necessary measures. The Chinese and Russian military can use their leadership in the hypersonic field to create means of protection against such weapons of the enemy.
At the moment, hypersonic complexes are able to overcome existing air defense systems and missile defense. At the same time, the pros and cons of such weapons are well known, and this makes it possible to identify their “weak points” that can be used to combat them. However, the creation of means of protection against hypersonic systems is extremely complex, and workable samples of this kind will appear only in the future.
According to the optimistic plans of the Pentagon, fundamentally new weapons will enter service in the early twenties. There is not too much time left before its appearance, and therefore the likely adversaries of the United States - including our country - need to take action. However, it cannot be ruled out that in parallel with the creation of hypersonic technology in our country, methods of dealing with it were created. Thanks to this, in 2021, our armed forces will have the means to counter the new American complexes.
The military-political situation in the world cannot be called simple, and there are more and more reasons to expect a new cold war with an arms race. Like last time, the system of fundamentally new classes will become the engine of the arms race. It seems that it is hypersonic shock complexes that will be the first to fall into this category. Leading countries are well aware of this and therefore take the necessary measures.
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At present, several variants of hypersonic combat systems of various kinds are being worked out in the USA. At the same time, until last year, there were slightly more such projects. In 2018, Pentagon plans were repeatedly mentioned in foreign media to combine several current projects into a common program, thereby saving resources and time.
In October, it became aware of such a decision. The Army Advanced Hypersonic Weapon (AHW) program, the Hypersonic Conventional Strike Weapon (HCSW) air force project and the Conventional Prompt Strike Navy (CPS) program were combined. Further work was proposed to be carried out within a single program in the interests of all three structures.
At that time, some details of the new hypersonic program became known. In a single project, it is planned to use the best practices for all three previous ones, choosing the most successful and appropriate tasks. The result of the work should be a whole family of unified hypersonic systems suitable for operation in the army, navy and in the air force.
According to different sources, it is proposed to take a ready planning hypersonic combat unit from an existing project and, with minimal modifications, make several missile systems for different types of troops out of it. The advantages of this approach are obvious. The time of project development is reduced, and in addition, the possibility of obtaining maximum unification appears. Thus, a weapon with the desired parameters will appear earlier and will be cheaper.
Warheads and their carriers
The Pentagon is in no hurry to publish the technical details of the new project, which leads to well-known results. So, last year, the words of the representative of the US Air Force about the test results for various programs and their consequences were actively discussed. It is important that such statements were made before News on the integration of the project.
It was claimed that the AHW Army Planning Combat Combat proved to be better than the HCSW for the Air Force in testing. In this regard, a proposal appeared to take the "army" product, supplement it "aviation»A booster rocket and arm the B-52H bomber with such a system. The possibility of creating similar weapons for the ground forces and naval forces was also mentioned.
In recent months, various unconfirmed reports have appeared on the further development of the combined hypersonic program. They allow us to present an approximate picture, but its authenticity remains questionable. However, its main points seem plausible and can be further confirmed.
The basis for the promising hypersonic ammunition, intended for three types of troops, is supposed to take the product AHW, has already passed the test and well-proven. It will be finalized taking into account the test results and the specifics of future use. The United States has extensive experience in the creation and application of new materials, as well as the layout and other solutions necessary to create hypersonic systems. This requires the creation of some new units.
At the end of April, 2019, the Sandia National Laboratories, reported on their participation in the development of new weapons. One of the branches of this organization is developing the means of navigation and guidance for future weapons. The possibility of creating an autopilot with elements of artificial intelligence is being considered. He will carry out flight control, including in difficult conditions and in a completely autonomous mode. Automation will have to quickly make the right decisions, not hoping for the participation of man.
For a finalized AHW product, several carriers will be needed. So, for the Air Force is required to create a booster rocket that is compatible with existing and prospective bombers. Probably, its carriers will be the existing B-52H and promising B-21. Land Forces and the Navy require a rocket, providing intercontinental firing range. In the case of the fleet, the rocket must be compatible with existing and developed submarines. Probably, these will be ships of the types Ohio and Columbia.
Ambiguous optimism
The AHW hypersonic aircraft made the first test flight in 2011, and further tests took place. There is reason to believe that by now this project has advanced far enough, and its revised version will be able to meet the requirements for real weapons. Nevertheless, it is obvious that processing the existing technology demonstrator into a practically applicable product is not the easiest task.
Also in the framework of the new program you need to create new missiles, and in addition, the adaptation of platforms for such weapons will be needed. All these works are not very simple, they are also associated with financial spending and will take some time.
According to last year's reports, the Pentagon wants to get the first combat-ready hypersonic complexes already in the 2021 year. Given the previous history three joint projects, it can be assumed that such terms are quite real. At the same time, the complexity of the required work makes it possible to doubt the possibility of meeting these deadlines.
The most plausible at the moment looks like the next forecast. The American industry will be able to create the required weapons and, perhaps, even fulfill all the wishes of the Pentagon - first of all, in terms of the unification of missile systems for different types of troops. However, such a program will go beyond the established schedule and will not be able to manage only with the initially allocated finances. This happened regularly in the past and the present, and therefore there is no reason to believe that the most difficult and promising project will end with different results.
From the perspective of the likely opponent
Obviously, the new version of AHW and other hypersonic systems are being developed as a response to the threat in the form of similar weapons from Russia and China. The Russian avant-garde hypersonic missile system will begin to arrive on duty this year, and in the future it is expected that the Chinese WU-14 / DF-ZF will be adopted. The USA has a reason to consider itself lagging behind in this direction.
By adopting its own complex, the United States will be able to ensure parity with possible opponents. Russia and China, in turn, should consider AHW as a threat to their security and take the necessary measures. The Chinese and Russian military can use their leadership in the hypersonic field to create means of protection against such weapons of the enemy.
At the moment, hypersonic complexes are able to overcome existing air defense systems and missile defense. At the same time, the pros and cons of such weapons are well known, and this makes it possible to identify their “weak points” that can be used to combat them. However, the creation of means of protection against hypersonic systems is extremely complex, and workable samples of this kind will appear only in the future.
According to the optimistic plans of the Pentagon, fundamentally new weapons will enter service in the early twenties. There is not too much time left before its appearance, and therefore the likely adversaries of the United States - including our country - need to take action. However, it cannot be ruled out that in parallel with the creation of hypersonic technology in our country, methods of dealing with it were created. Thanks to this, in 2021, our armed forces will have the means to counter the new American complexes.
The military-political situation in the world cannot be called simple, and there are more and more reasons to expect a new cold war with an arms race. Like last time, the system of fundamentally new classes will become the engine of the arms race. It seems that it is hypersonic shock complexes that will be the first to fall into this category. Leading countries are well aware of this and therefore take the necessary measures.
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