Leidos to design air-breathing hypersonic missile with standardized payload interface for strike and recon
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB, Ohio – U.S. Air Force researchers needed help to develop a large air-breathing hypersonic missile able to carry out several different kinds of missions with a standardized payload interface. They found their solution from Leidos Inc. in Reston, Va.
Officials of the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, announced a $334 million six-year contract last Friday for research and development of the Expendable Hypersonic Multi-Mission ISR and Strike (Mayhem) program.
This project seeks to provide a significant technological advancement and future capability, with a standardized payload interface that would create several different opportunities for payload integration within the same hypersonic missile system.
This program is focused on delivering a larger class air-breathing hypersonic system capable of executing several different kinds of missions with a standardized payload interface, providing a significant technological advancement and future capability, Air Force officials say.
The Mayhem system will use a scramjet engine to generate thrust, propelling the vehicle across long distances at speeds greater than Mach 5, Leidos officials say. Leidos partners include Calspan Corp. in Buffalo, N.Y.; The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Inc. in Cambridge, Mass.; and Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Inc. in San Diego.
It is expected that Mayhem payloads will involve delivering kinetic or explosive weapons, or intelligence and reconnaissance sensor payloads at hypersonic speeds. Hypersonic typically refers to objects traveling faster than Mach 5, or 3,836 miles per hour.
Few additional technical details of the Mayhem project are openly available. Leidos was one of six companies that bid on the Mayhem hypersonic project. The Mayhem solicitation was released in late February, and the six companies bidding were asked to submit their proposals by late May.
Related: U.S. military moving forward on hypersonics
The original unclassified solicitation for the Mayhem project is online at https://sam.gov/opp/4d1797ce5cd04eb4a9f7e77756031d81/view.
On this contract Leidos will do the work at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio,and at other potential testing sites to be determined, and should be finished by October 2028.
For more information contact the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base at www.afrl.af.mil, or Leidos at www.leidos.com.
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.
