Raytheon is employing a new design strategy and facilities to accelerate hypersonic weapon development, focusing on composable weapons that enable faster production timelines.
The approach builds on ongoing programs like the Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept (HAWC) and its successor, More Opportunities with HAWC (MoHAWC). DARPA awarded Raytheon and Northrop Grumman an $81 million contract to advance scramjet-powered propulsion, aircraft integration, and manufacturing improvements. The team will construct additional flight vehicles, applying lessons from prior tests to mature the design and expand its operating envelope.
This effort supports the U.S. Air Force’s Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM), for which Raytheon received a $73 million contract to boost production capacity. HACM leverages Northrop Grumman scramjet technology to achieve speeds exceeding Mach 5, with operational deployment targeted for fiscal year 2027.
Raytheon’s HALO missile prototype further demonstrates rapid development using digital and model-based engineering, enhancing U.S. Navy capabilities against high-threat environments. These initiatives prioritize risk reduction and scalable manufacturing for air-breathing hypersonic systems.