Hypersonics Prototyping - Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM)

Hypersonics Prototyping - Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM), falls under the Research, Development, Test & Evaluation budget activity of the Air Force. The specific goal of this program is to develop an air-launched boost-glide hypersonic weapon, the AGM-183A Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW), as well as the air-breathing HACM capability. The program aims to enable the U.S. to hold fixed, high-value, time-sensitive targets at risk in contested environments from standoff distances. It leverages Southern Cross Integrated Flight Research Experiment (SCIFiRE) investment and aims to integrate advanced technologies and mature designs into an All-Up Round (AUR) prototype that will demonstrate a field-able long-range prompt strike capability. Additionally, the program seeks to implement Digital Acquisition tenants of Open, Agile, and Digital and prioritize integration on the F-15E platform to enable quick entry into flight test.

The program also includes efforts in Budget Activity 4, Advanced Component Development and Prototypes (ACD&P), to evaluate integrated technologies, representative modes or prototype systems in a high fidelity and realistic operating environment. It involves necessary civilian pay expenses required to manage, execute, and deliver weapon system capability. The program's objectives include developing and testing prototype vehicles to inform future HACM acquisition decisions, maturing hypersonic technologies and processes such as subsystem integration, infrastructure and testing advancements, Digital Engineering (DE), Weapons Open Systems Architecture (WOSA), modeling and simulation, analytics, and high-performance computing environments. It also aims to establish industrial base innovation around the program's enterprise for modularity and adaptability for the life cycle of the weapons system while reducing redundant costs between systems with similar subsystems requirements.

Overall, the program's specific goals are centered around advancing hypersonic technology capabilities through prototyping efforts and integrating advanced technologies into a field-able long-range prompt strike capability while leveraging digital acquisition principles and prioritizing integration on specific platforms for rapid entry into flight testing.