The Propulsion Technology is Ready to Power Operational Hypersonic Systems Now

More than 14 years have passed since the first X-51A WaveRider—powered by a supersonic combustion ramjet (scramjet) engine built by Aerojet Rocketdyne, now a part of L3Harris Technologies—made hypersonic history by completing the longest-ever supersonic combustion ramjet-powered flight.

Industry has made significant advances in the field in the years since, demonstrating we have both the propulsion technology and the production capacity to support fielding operational hypersonic systems to deliver their capabilities into the hands of our warfighters. L3Harris demonstrated its scramjet technology with the Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept (HAWC) program and is continuing to advance 3D-printing technology through programs such as GAMMA-H.

When the Defense Department released its National Hypersonics Initiative 2.0, guiding the nation's collective approach to fielding operational hypersonic systems, a former DOD Principal Director for Hypersonics noted the need for systems to be, “built affordably and at high rate to meet the needs of the warfighter as well as continuing to evolve our technology.” The initiative includes four main pillars that aim to accelerate hypersonic technology development in an affordable, responsible and robust manner.

The Initiative's first pillar focuses on manufacturing so industry can deliver affordable inventory at scale. L3Harris has made the significant investments in facilities, advanced production processes, and robotic automation to meet this challenge. Our industry-leading 3D-printing technology, proven both in production rocket engine applications and in hypersonic flight tests, enables us to deliver affordable scramjet engines and other components at scale. Our mature and proven scramjet engine incorporates 3D printing, yielding more than a 75% reduction in time to produce, a 75% reduction in cost to manufacture, and a 95% reduction in the number of parts compared to our first generation of scramjets. We are also harnessing the power of digital engineering to streamline the design process, resulting in significantly reduced cost and development time.

The second pillar highlights the need for innovation to ensure that new concepts are in the pipeline to enable future disruptive capabilities. At the core of L3Harris' advances in hypersonics is a dual mode air-breathing scramjet, enabling the engine to operate as both a subsonic combustion ramjet at supersonic flight speeds and as a scramjet at hypersonic flight speeds. While dual mode scramjets enable critical hypersonic platforms, L3Harris is also developing booster, warhead, missile defense, advanced sensors and other disruptive technologies that enable modern warfighting capabilities.

Pillar three aims to ensure our country has a capable workforce to develop future capabilities. In more than 400 communities where L3Harris employees live and work, we invest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) initiatives to inspire the next generation. Because STEM Initiatives are essential to the aerospace and defense industry, L3Harris collaborates with 19 colleges and universities to sponsor educational programs for students of all ages in areas such as robotics, coding and space technology.

The fourth and final pillar stresses the need to have advanced test and evaluation capability and capacity in place to support accelerated development of hypersonic systems. Given the unprecedented demand for access to our nation's high-speed test facilities, L3Harris fully supports the DOD's ongoing efforts to increase testing and evaluation capability and capacity through its existing air-breathing hypersonic test facility in Orange County, Virginia.

Our country has established a strong foundation to uphold each of the National Hypersonics Initiative 2.0 pillars. Hypersonic technology is no longer some theoretical concept debated in scientific circles. It's real, it's here, and it works. Now is the time for our nation to commit the resources necessary to field operational hypersonic systems and get them into the hands of our warfighters.