Navy asks industry to develop prototype hypersonic weapon compatible with carriers and F/A-18 Super Hornet
ARLINGTON, Va. – U.S. Navy researchers are asking industry to develop a prototype hypersonic munition for the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet jet fighter-bomber that hosted aboard U.S. aircraft carriers.
Officials of the U.S. Office of Naval Research (ONR) in Arlington, Va., issued a solicitation on Friday (N00014-21-S-SN14) asking industry to build and test a hypersonic air-breathing controlled test vehicle called Screaming Arrow.
The goal is for three Screaming Arrow test flights that involve the prototype's captive carriage, air launch separation, controlled flight, booster ignition and operation, separation of the munition's cruiser from its booster, cruiser controlled flight, cruiser engine start, cruiser acceleration to cruise condition, cruiser at cruise condition, cruiser turndown, cruiser terminal-phase flight trajectory, and cruiser flight impact.
Researchers would like to capitalize on previous and current hypersonic developments by government agencies and defense industry contractors ultimately to create a near-term operational hypersonic weapon, which can fly at speeds of at least five times the speed of sound to attack enemy surface warships and other high-priority surface and ground targets.
For storage aboard aircraft carriers, the prototype hypersonic weapon must fit inside storage containers that are 15 feet long, 3.3 feet wide, and 3.75 feet tall.
Companies interested should submit full proposals no later than 20 Sept. 2021 to FedConnect at www.fedconnect.net. Navy researchers say they plan to fund three individual awards.
For questions or concerns email Kenneth Heeke at [email protected] or Jerome Kong at [email protected].
More information is online at https://sam.gov/opp/b8c56124390d4f2b8e3c8bc6a7bee532/view.
John Keller | Editor-in-Chief
John Keller is the Editor-in-Chief, Military & Aerospace Electronics Magazine--provides extensive coverage and analysis of enabling electronics and optoelectronic technologies in military, space and commercial aviation applications. John has been a member of the Military & Aerospace Electronics staff since 1989 and chief editor since 1995.
