Called Mayhem, this very first hypersonic drone will be able to carry out surveillance and “strike” missions.
Hypersonic weapons are part of the Kremlin’s terror argument with their ability to evade air defense systems coupled with their velocity. The Russian military claims to have used at least one Kh-47M2 Kinzhal hypersonic missile last March in a strike in western Ukraine. This modern weaponry, supposedly unstoppable and destructive, has been operational with the Russians and the Chinese for a few years now.
On the other hand, the United States and Western countries, which are working on hypersonic armaments, are still in the early stages of development. This is particularly the case for the research laboratory of theUS Air Force. But more than hypersonic missiles, the organization is developing a dronedrone hypersonic called Mayhem.
Secret defense requires, we do not know much about this platform. US AirAir Force explains that it is a “multi-mission” vehicle designed for ISR operations (IntelligenceIntelligenceSurveillance, Reconnaissance), in other words, for surveillance and attack missions.
Hypersonic, this vehicle will therefore be able to evolve at gearsgears superior to Mach 5. The US Air Force lab has already carried out tests of hypersonic missile prototypes, such as the Air Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) from Lockheed-Martin. It had been launched from a B-52 and had been able to reach the speed of Mach 20 before hovering towards its target. The Mayhem will use the same ramjetramjet at combustioncombustion supersonic than the ARRW. To produce the weapon system and its future prototypes, the US Air Force called on companies Leidos and Kratos.
A drone that can be used as a missile
Missiles are said to be hypersonic from the moment they can exceed Mach 5 (6,174 km/h), i.e. five times the speed of soundspeed of sound. This very high level of speed is not exceptional, since ballistic missiles can reach Mach 23 at peak. What sets them apart from other types of armaments, however, is their ability to maintain these speeds over long distances, as well as their maneuverability in flight. The materials must be able to withstand extreme temperatures for a long time and the management of the air flow around the vehicle must be laminarlaminar.
But, unlike other existing missiles, the hypersonic drone Mayhem raises the bar a little higher, since it is necessary that its sensorssensors can withstand these levels of hypersonic speed. This is the whole point of this development and it is also for this reason that the Mayhem is hardly comparable with the Russian or Chinese hypersonic missiles already operational. The Americans do not plan before 2030 to be able to operate this type of reusable hypersonic drone. The military intends to use it to carry out rapid attacks at very long range on targets mobilesmobiles inaccessible by other types of weapons.
Called Mayhem, this very first hypersonic drone will be able to carry out surveillance and “strike” missions.
Hypersonic weapons are part of the Kremlin’s terror argument with their ability to evade air defense systems coupled with their velocity. The Russian military claims to have used at least one Kh-47M2 Kinzhal hypersonic missile last March in a strike in western Ukraine. This modern weaponry, supposedly unstoppable and destructive, has been operational with the Russians and the Chinese for a few years now.
On the other hand, the United States and Western countries, which are working on hypersonic armaments, are still in the early stages of development. This is particularly the case for the research laboratory of theUS Air Force. But more than hypersonic missiles, the organization is developing a dronedrone hypersonic called Mayhem.
Secret defense requires, we do not know much about this platform. US AirAir Force explains that it is a “multi-mission” vehicle designed for ISR operations (IntelligenceIntelligenceSurveillance, Reconnaissance), in other words, for surveillance and attack missions.
Hypersonic, this vehicle will therefore be able to evolve at gearsgears superior to Mach 5. The US Air Force lab has already carried out tests of hypersonic missile prototypes, such as the Air Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) from Lockheed-Martin. It had been launched from a B-52 and had been able to reach the speed of Mach 20 before hovering towards its target. The Mayhem will use the same ramjetramjet at combustioncombustion supersonic than the ARRW. To produce the weapon system and its future prototypes, the US Air Force called on companies Leidos and Kratos.
A drone that can be used as a missile
Missiles are said to be hypersonic from the moment they can exceed Mach 5 (6,174 km/h), i.e. five times the speed of soundspeed of sound. This very high level of speed is not exceptional, since ballistic missiles can reach Mach 23 at peak. What sets them apart from other types of armaments, however, is their ability to maintain these speeds over long distances, as well as their maneuverability in flight. The materials must be able to withstand extreme temperatures for a long time and the management of the air flow around the vehicle must be laminarlaminar.
But, unlike other existing missiles, the hypersonic drone Mayhem raises the bar a little higher, since it is necessary that its sensorssensors can withstand these levels of hypersonic speed. This is the whole point of this development and it is also for this reason that the Mayhem is hardly comparable with the Russian or Chinese hypersonic missiles already operational. The Americans do not plan before 2030 to be able to operate this type of reusable hypersonic drone. The military intends to use it to carry out rapid attacks at very long range on targets mobilesmobiles inaccessible by other types of weapons.
