A Look At Hypersonic Research Through The Years

Graham Warwick December 21, 2018

1979-85

Credit: Sandia National Laboratory

Three flights of Sandia Winged Energetic Reentry Vehicle Experiment (Swerve)—a slender, conical hypersonic glide vehicle.

2011

Credit: U.S. Army

U.S. Army launches the Swerve-derived Advanced Hypersonic Weapon (AHW).

 

2014

Credit: Daniel Toschlager and Jay Mantri/Wikipedia

China begins flights of WU-14 hypersonic glide vehicle on DF-21 ballistic missile.

 

2015

Credit: Kosmotras International Space Company/Wikipedia

Russian Yu-71 hypersonic glide vehicle flies on SS-19 (Yu-74 flies on RS-18A in 2016).

 

2017

Credit: U.S. Army

U.S. Navy launches scaled AHW on Conventional Prompt Strike Flight Experiment 1.

 

2017

Credit: Russian Defense Ministry

Russia’s Kinzhal air-launched hypersonic strike missile enters service.

2018

Credit: Russian government

Russia’s Avangard (Yu-71/74) ground-launched hypersonic glide weapon enters production.

2019

Credit: DARPA

2020

Credit: Daniel Toschlager and Jay Mantri/Wikipedia

China’s DF-ZF (WU-14) ground-launched hypersonic glide weapon enters service.

 

2021 and beyond

Credit: Lockheed Martin

U.S. Air Force air-launched Hypersonic Conventional Strike Weapon (based on AHW) and AGM-183A Airborne Rapid-Response Weapon (based on TBG) become operational. Army Alternate Reentry System and Navy Conventional Prompt Strike missiles become operational (both based on AHW).

After years of on/off research, superpower competition is driving the U.S. to develop hypersonic strike weapons, beginning with rocket-boosted unpowered glide vehicles to be fielded in the early 2020s. These will use a common glide body design derived from a vehicle first tested in the late 1970s. In parallel, work is continuing on more advanced glide bodies and powered air-breathing hypersonic vehicles.

Graham Warwick

Graham leads Aviation Week's coverage of technology, focusing on engineering and technology across the aerospace industry, with a special focus on identifying technologies of strategic importance to aviation, aerospace and defense.