MOSCOW, August 12. /TASS/. The Pentagon’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) intends to launch a program to create a new air-breathing hypersonic cruise missile that would be impossible to intercept using existing air defense and missile defense systems.
On August 7, the agency sent a request for information (RFI) to potential developers to assess the feasibility of such an initiative.
The NGHCM (Next-Generation Hypersonic Cruise Missile) initiative, which DARPA intends to launch, is designed, according to the agency, to demonstrate the feasibility of developing a cruise missile that will be virtually invulnerable to air defense and missile defense systems while also being inexpensive enough for mass production. The prototype missile, which the agency intends to develop as part of the NGHCM program, is intended to "establish the foundation for a next-generation capability that delivers a revolutionary leap in operational performance" for traits like range, speed and altitude, the RFI stated.
DARPA would like to obtain weapons that could be made available to the US Armed Forces as quickly as possible. Companies intending to participate in the initiative have been asked to "define an optimal, accelerated schedule" for development, flight testing, subsequent improvements, and other activities.
