| Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM) | |
|---|---|
| Type | Hypersonic air-launched cruise missile |
| Place of origin | United States Australia |
| Service history | |
| In service | In development |
| Used by | United States Air Force Royal Australian Air Force |
| Production history | |
| Designer | RTX Corporation Northrop Grumman |
| Specifications | |
| Engine | Scramjet |
Operational range | 1,000 nmi (1,900 km) [1] [2] |
| Maximum speed | Mach 8 (2.7 km/s; 9,800 km/h; 6,100 mph) [2] [3] [4] |
Launch platform | F-15E Strike Eagle [5] F/A-18F Super Hornet [6] EA-18G Growler [7] F-35A Lightning II [8] P-8A Poseidon [9] |
The Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM; pronounced Hack-em [10] ) is an Australian-American scramjet-powered hypersonic air-launched cruise missile project, the successor of the Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept (HAWC) and the SCIFiRE hypersonic programs. [11]
Technology developed for the HAWC demonstrator was used to influence the design of the HACM, a U.S. Air Force Program of Record to create a scramjet-powered hypersonic missile it could deploy as an operational weapon. [12]
In December 2021, Raytheon Technologies was awarded a $985 million contract to continue its HACM development. [13]
The contract to develop HACM further was awarded to Raytheon in September 2022. [14] HACM will use a Northrop Grumman scramjet. [15] [16] It is designed to be smaller than the AGM-183 ARRW and able to fly along “vastly different trajectories” than the boost-glide ARRW. [17]
The system will give the US military "tactical flexibility to employ fighters to hold high-value, time-sensitive targets at risk, while maintaining bombers for other strategic targets." [5] [18] [19] [20] Following the U.S. Air Force's decision to not pursue procurement of ARRW in March 2023, the HACM became the service's only hypersonic weapon program. [21] Though the USAF confirmed that they would not be purchasing any hypersonic weapons in FY 2024, the budget request for the upcoming fiscal year includes $380 million for R&D on the HACM, [13] followed by a proposed $517 million in FY 2025. [17] The United States hopes to have the missile in operational capacity by FY 2027. [22]
The United States Air Force has stated that Australian testing facilities will be used for testing of HACM. [23] [24]
In Australian service, the projectile will become the fastest missile Australia has ever operated, and the first hypersonic missile.[ citation needed ]
In future American service, it has been indicated that the F-15E Strike Eagle will be the sole carrier of the missile. [15]
Australia has indicated that their allocation of the future missiles will first be deployed on the F/A-18F Super Hornets, followed by usage on the EA-18G Growler, F-35A Lightning II and the P-8A Poseidon. [25]
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