The HACM hypersonic missile was shown to US Air Force pilots
US Air Force pilots inspect the new missile
Work continues on a promising project in the USA aviation hypersonic missile HACM. To date, part of the design work has been completed and other activities are being prepared or carried out. So, recently the air force personnel were introduced to the new development. The pilots who will use the future rocket were shown a mock-up of such a product and told about its features and capabilities.
Introductory show
On September 29, the press service of the 412th Test Wing of the US Air Force, based at Edwards Airfield (California), announced that an important event had been held the day before. Air Force personnel had the opportunity to become familiar with promising developments in the field of hypersonic aircraft weapons.
Representatives of several Air Force units and units from the Global Strike Command and Air Combat Command were invited to a demonstration of current developments. These pilots are part of the crews of the B-1B, B-2A and B-52H bombers, as well as the F-15E fighter-bomber.
Participants of the event listened to a lecture on the current state of affairs in the field of hypersonic weapons, discussed this topic, and also examined prototypes or prototypes of such products. The official message was accompanied by several interesting photos. So, in a couple of pictures, the pilots got acquainted with the AGM-183 ARRW missile under the wing of the carrier aircraft.
The other two photographs are of particular interest. In them, show participants get acquainted with a previously unknown example of hypersonic weapons. The type of this product has not been officially named, and its markings were not included in the shot. However, characteristic exterior details make it possible to associate this product with one of the current projects being developed by order of the Pentagon and the Air Force.
In one of the pictures, only a section of the body was included in the frame, although it was quite large. The photo shows that the product has curved surfaces and a clear side edge. Some kind of head fairing is also visible. The second photo shows the central part of the product - the unit connecting two stages. The body with side faces has tail stabilizers and is connected to the cylindrical body of the first stage.
Characteristic structural elements are visible
Apparently, the pilots were shown a mock-up of a rocket from the promising HACM program. Previously, the organizations participating in this project published their concepts of such weapons, and the current full-size product is quite similar to some of them. Perhaps this issue will be clarified in the near future. If elements of the appearance of the new rocket are already allowed for publication, then other information may also be revealed.
Priority project
The Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM) development program has been mentioned in public materials and official communications since 2020. It is assumed that this project was based on developments from several recent research projects. In 2021-22 carried out the necessary preliminary activities, allocated funding and launched competitive development.
All major enterprises of the American military industry took part in the competition, and large corporations had to join forces due to the complexity of the tasks. The winner of the HACM competition was announced in September 2022. The project from Raytheon was considered more successful. Now she has to complete the project, and the propulsion system will be made jointly with Northrop Grumman. The contract for design work was estimated at $985 million.
A few months before the HACM contract was signed, the draft military budget for the next FY 2023 was published. This document revealed the Pentagon's overall plans in the context of the Air Force's hypersonic weapons. It turned out that the department plans to curtail the development program of the ARRW aeroballistic missile due to the lack of noticeable results. The bulk of the money released will go towards the HACM cruise missile.
The budget with these features was approved, and later new details emerged. Thus, in March 2023, the Department of the Air Force announced that the remaining ARRW prototypes would undergo testing, but the HACM project would take priority. It was noted that the HACM product is already undergoing some testing. However, no test flights or other events have been reported before.
The appearance of the experimental vehicle HAWK from Raytheon
According to recent reports, the HACM program is moving forward successfully, and now the customer and project implementers are ready to introduce it to Air Force personnel. Tactical and strategic aviation pilots were shown a mock-up of the HACM product and told about this development.
Plans for the future
Last year it was reported that the development of a full-fledged HACM project would take several more years. Flight tests of the rocket are expected no earlier than 2024-25. Finalizing the design, testing interaction with all intended carriers, setting up production, etc. will take several more years. Deliveries of serial missiles to the troops are planned to begin only in 2027. Then it will take some time to create sufficient warehouse stocks.
The HACM missile is intended for several carrier aircraft at once, and both long-range and tactical aviation will receive it. The lightest carrier of a hypersonic product will be the modernized F-15E/EX fighter. Apparently, it will be able to carry several missiles. In addition, HACM will be included in the ammunition of the B-1B and B-52H strategic bombers. Interestingly, B-2A crews were present at a recent event at Edwards Air Force Base. This may indicate plans to equip such bombers with new missiles.
Such plans to deploy hypersonic cruise missiles are of some interest and show what results the US Air Force wants to achieve. Thus, the F-15E(X) fighters will make it possible to keep a larger number of HACM products on duty and use them more flexibly. In the case of the B-1B, as previously mentioned in official communications, it is about extending the service life of these bombers while maintaining and improving combat capabilities. Probably the same approach is taking place with the B-2A stealth aircraft.
Technical features
The appearance of the promising HACM product and its tactical and technical characteristics have not yet been disclosed. At the same time, Raytheon has published various concepts in the recent past, some of which may correspond to a real project. In addition, obvious assumptions can be made about the basic parameters of the rocket.
Dimensions and weight have not yet been specified. It should be taken into account that the rocket is intended, incl. for the F-15E aircraft. Its maximum load capacity does not exceed 10,4 tons and, according to some data and assumptions, it will be able to carry several HACMs at once. Strategic bombers, depending on the model and loading option, will lift 20 such missiles into the air. All this allows us to imagine the maximum possible mass of the new rocket.
Possible appearance of the HACM missile combat stage
Judging by the partially shown mock-up, the HACM missile is a two-stage missile. It includes an accelerating stage in a cylindrical housing with stabilizers/rudders. To reach the required speed and altitude, a solid propellant engine must be used. After it is exhausted, the stage is reset.
The combat stage for HACM must be an independent aircraft. It has a characteristic shape with upper and lower surfaces of different curvature, connected by a clear side edge. It is assumed that the HACM project is based on the developments of the HAWK program. If this is so, then the rocket will receive a hypersonic ramjet engine.
The HACM product is positioned as hypersonic. This means that in flight it will reach a speed of at least 5-6 Mach. They plan to equip strategic missile carriers with it, which may indicate a flight range of hundreds or thousands of kilometers.
The method of guidance raises questions. Like other cruise missiles, HACM can use satellite and inertial navigation. We cannot exclude the possibility of using a full-fledged homing head, which will significantly improve accuracy indicators. Combat equipment is unknown. It is likely that a conventional warhead will be used, and the power of the missile as a whole will be increased due to kinetic energy.
Unclear prospects
Due to the failure of the ARRW project, the priority of the HACM program changed. Now this particular missile is being considered as the main promising hypersonic weapon for the US Air Force. The HACM product is still at the development stage, but the first tests, probably of individual units, have already been reported. In addition, pilots of combat units are introduced to it.
The Pentagon is optimistic about the HACM project and expects it to be successfully completed on time. It is possible that these estimates and expectations are based on some information about the current progress of the project that is not subject to publication. However, it cannot be ruled out that these are just wishes and hopes, the emergence of which was facilitated by a lack of time and the virtual absence of alternative developments.
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