Lockheed Martin’s AGM-183A Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) achieved the first end-to-end tests of a hypersonic glide vehicle with a high lift-to-drag design. Facing an uncertain future, the U.S. Air Force program battled numerous obstacles and a daunting schedule to demonstrate the viability of an air-launched hypersonic weapon with the ability to maneuver during the glide phase.
Airbus RACER High-Speed Compound Rotorcraft
Credit: Airbus
Just seven flights into its test program, Airbus’ Rapid and Cost-Effective Rotorcraft demonstrator raced past its initial 220-kt. speed target. Developed under Europe’s Clean Sky 2 research program, RACER’s aim is to prove higher cruise speeds can be achieved for rotary-wing aircraft without significantly higher operating cost or training burden.
Anduril Industries
Credit: Anduril
Demonstrating its ability to turn disrupting the defense industry from idea to reality, startup Anduril in 2024 underscored its arrival as an industrial force by winning a U.S. Air Force contract to develop a Cooperative Combat Aircraft, snagging an order for more than 500 counter-drone interceptors and securing a $1.5 billion funding round.
Hermeus
Credit: Hermeus
High-speed aircraft developer Hermeus completed initial tests of a full-scale precooler with a Pratt & Whitney F100-229 engine, marking a key step toward the development of a production-relevant turbine-based combined-cycle propulsion system and paving the way for flight tests of a low-cost, reusable, air-breathing hypersonic aircraft.
Adaptive Engine Transition Program
Credit: GE
Pioneering propulsion advances achieved through the U.S. Air Force’s Adaptive Engine Transition Program (AETP) led to the development and test of two three-stream engines – GE Aerospace’s XA100 and Pratt & Whitney’s XA101. With 10% more thrust and 30% higher efficiency than the F135, the engines will pave the way for future variable-cycle powerplants.
The 2025 Laureates will be presented on March 6 at a black-tie gala at the National Building Museum in Washington. That evening, editors also will reveal five Grand Laureates selected from the winners in each of the industry categories.
