Pentagon and DARPA Are Developing a Hypersonic Weapon

In spring the Pentagon plans to test the prototype of the so-called hypersonic weapon - "Minotaur IV Lite" aircraft accelerated with a rocket. It can fly over the Pacific Ocean in less than 2 hours.

U.S. Department of Defense's Defense Advanced Research Agency (DARPA) announced that in April it plans to try the hypersound unmanned aircraft prototype. DARPA announced that it wants to rent a ship carrying the U.S flag, which will collect the telemetry experimental airplane's HTV-2 (Hypersonic Technology Vehicle-2) test-flight information. According to the agency representatives, HTV-2 prototype, without an engine system, will be raised by a missile launcher "Minotaur IV Lite" which will be flown in suborbital trajectory. This project will be accomplished from the U.S. Air Force Vandenberg base in California. When strayed away from its last stage, the HTV-2 aircraft will fly by the atmosphere in the place near the Marshall Islands in the Pacific Ocean.

This experiment is planned to happen between 20th and 27th of April. According to "Wired", this is the first public notice of the HTV-2 test, which was originally planned for 2009.

This test is a joint DARPA and US Air Force experiment called "Falcon". This program aims to create reusable aircraft flying in the speed of hypersonic (5 to 10 Mach), which could take off like any other conventional aircraft.

Such aircraft could be 6 times (or more) faster than the speed of sound and could overcome the distance of 14 400 kilometers in less than 2 hours; it could also carry about 5.4 tons of cargo. Such planes would be used for intelligence, surveillance, attacks and in other critical U.S. national security missions.

"Falcon" program was associated with the Pentagon's previously executed development project which was intended to create other experimental aircraft - "Blackswift". It should have had to rise from conventional airfields, to achieve maximum speed of 6 Mach and return back and land at the aerodrome. However, the U.S. Congress in 2009 reduced the funding for this project and DARPA stopped its development.

The purpose of the HTV-2 airplane test is to check the effectiveness of the thermal protection systems and aerodynamic control.

In this video clip DARPA is demonstrating a computerized "Blackswift" experimental aircraft flight animation.

YouTube video

Source: http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2010/02/darpa-plans-test-for-hypersonic-prototype/