DARPA developing hypersonic cruise missile to evade enemy air defenses

As U.S. air defenses intercept Iranian missiles, the Pentagon is concerned that American missiles are vulnerable to enemy air defenses. Consequently, DARPA wants a hypersonic scramjet cruise missile that is capable of evading enemy interceptors. “Future U.S. military operations face increasingly significant challenges from the rapid proliferation and advancement of highly capable Integrated Air Defense Systems (IADS) by peer adversaries,” warned DARPA’s Request for Information , which is due October 6. “These systems threaten to restrict the operational freedom of U.S. forces and diminish the effectiveness of current stand-off strike capabilities.” The Next Generation Hypersonic Cruise Missile, or NGHCM, aims to demonstrate that it is possible to develop a cruise missile that is both survivable and affordable enough to be manufactured in large quantities. “This demonstrator must establish the foundation for a next-generation capability that delivers a revolutionary leap in operational performance—specifically in range, cruise speed, and/or altitude,” DARPA said. “DARPA strongly encourages responses to this RFI from non-traditional defense contractors and emerging technology developers.” The RFI asks companies to address three “focus areas.” The first is the overall missile concept. “How does the architecture balance advancements in foundational physical parameters (payload, range, speed, altitude) against other critical factors (e.g., midcourse maneuverability, signature, or …