Advanced Hypersonic Weapon (abbreviation AHW , literally "promising hypersonic weapon", in some sources "advanced") - a hypersonic aircraft designed to fly in the atmosphere at hypersonic speed . It is part of the US DoD Fast Global Strike initiative to develop global weapons systems that can hit targets in any region of the world no more than one hour after launch.
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| Advanced Hypersonic Weapon | |
 | Intended AHW appearance Wired Network Journal |
| Figure AHW appearance provided by the Pentagon Cnews.ru |
| Start of STARS - AHW Prototype Carrier US Army Website |
| Infographics for the message “Global hypersonic shock ” Kommersant Nauka Magazine No. 9, 05.12.2011 |
Relative to the DARPA and US Air Force program for the development of an HTV-2 hypersonic delivery vehicle , AHW, under the auspices of the US Army , is considered an alternative, less risky program [1] .
The development of the planning apparatus was carried out at the Sandia National Laboratory in ( Albuquerque , New Mexico ), and its thermal protection systems at the AMRDEC science and technology center in ( Huntsville , Alabama ). AHW project management is carried out by the command of space systems and missile defense and strategic forces of the US Army [2] (abbr. USASMDC / ARSTRAT).
Content
Financing
According to the report of the US Congressional Research Service ( CRS - Congressional Research Service ), funding for the AHW Army program was first allocated in the fiscal year 2006 in the amount of $ 1.5 million, in 2007 Congress added another $ 8.9 million. In 2008 The United States Department of Defense allocated $ 29 million for AHW and another $ 13.9 million in fiscal year 2009 from the CPGS single fund (abbreviated Conventional Prompt Global Strike , literally “non-nuclear fast global strike”). In fiscal 2010, the United States Department of Defense requested $ 46.9 million for the AHW program, while emphasizing that this funding would allow for a flight test in 2011. Of the $ 239.9 million envisaged by the US budget in 2011 for the CPGS program, $ 69 million came from AHW [1] .
On March 6, 2019, the U.S. Department of Defense Advanced Research Projects (DARPA) signed a $ 63.3 million contract with the military-industrial company Raytheon to develop a hypersonic tactical guided warhead. Hypersonic weapons will allow the US military to operate from longer distances with a more rapid response and with increased efficiency compared to existing weapons systems. [3]
Design
AHW is a high-precision guided (in some sources, maneuvering [4] ) combat unit [5] having a biconical shape with four aerodynamic surfaces. [approx. one]
In the manufacture of AHW used steel, titanium , aluminum , tungsten , tantalum , chromium , nickel , carbon fiber , silicon dioxide and several other materials. The device is equipped with a self-destruction system, telemetry equipment, sensors for measuring the characteristics of the device and flight conditions, lithium-ion and nickel-manganese batteries. [6]
Some sources believe that AHW guidance is provided by an inertial navigation system integrated with a correction system according to the data of the GPS satellite receiver (Navstar), suggesting the possibility of installing a passive homing system at the end of the flight. [five]
Features
AHW declares the possibility of hitting targets with warheads in conventional (non-nuclear) equipment located at ranges of up to 6,000 km within 30-35 minutes from launch, while it is expected that the accuracy of hitting the target will be no more than 10 meters ( KVO ) [approx. 2] [6] Some sources believe that the defeat of the target in the case of AHW will be due to the kinetic effect of a warhead flying at high hypersonic speed. [five]
Flight Tests
First Flight Test
The first flight test of the AHW was conducted on November 17, 2011, when at 1:30 HAST from the Pacific Rocket Test Site The US Navy located in the Hawaiian Islands (Kauai) launched the STARS test rocket ( eng. S trategic TAR get S ystem ) [approx. 3] under the cowl of which was the hypersonic glider HGB ( Eng. Hypersonic Glide Body ). The hypersonic apparatus successfully separated from the third stage of the STARS carrier passed in the upper atmosphere above the Pacific Ocean along a non-ballistic planning path and after less than 30 minutes fell in the region of the aiming point located on the territory of the Reagan test site ( Kwajalein Atoll , Marshall Islands ), 3700 km from launch sites. During the flight of the HGB, a speed of about Mach 8 was reached (according to other sources, 5) [6] .
The main objective of the first flight test was to obtain data on endoatmospheric hypersonic planning and long-range flight capabilities in the atmosphere. The main attention was paid to aerodynamics , development of thermal protection technologies, heat transfer control, navigation , guidance and control. Data collection was carried out using satellites, air, sea and ground measuring instruments during all stages of the AHW flight. US DoD plans to use the collected data to model and develop future hypersonic planning tools [7] .
Second Flight Test
The second AHW flight test was conducted from the Kodiak space center in Alaska on August 25, 2014, 08:00 GMT . When launching from the LP1 site a three-stage solid fuel rocket STARS IV with HGB four seconds after launch, the rocket was self-destroyed by the launch operator due to problems with the system. The explosion damaged the ground infrastructure of the launch complex. The launch was carried out in the direction of the Reagan Test Site on the Kwajalein Atoll. [8] [9] [10] .
See also
- DARPA Falcon Project
- Wu-14
- Yu-71
- Boeing X-51
- Fast global hit
Notes
- ↑ According to published illustrations.
- ↑ The range of 6,000 km is explained by the fact that under an agreement between the USSR and the USA on the elimination of intermediate and shorter-range missiles from 1987, the development of ballistic missiles with a range in the range of 500–5500 km is prohibited.
- ↑ The first two stages of the Polaris-A3 SLBM were used as the first and second stages of the missile ; the ORBUS-1A solid-fuel stage was used as the third stage (booster block). The total length of the rocket is 10.36 m, the diameter is 1.37 m, the mass of the rocket is 16.33 tons, and the total thrust is 34 tons. STARS with the installed PBV target (Sand Post ) was also used to test SBIRS satellite elements missile attack early warning systems .
Sources
- ↑ 1 2 Amy F. Woolf. Conventional Prompt Global Strike and Long-Range Ballistic Missiles: Background and Issues 17-23. Congressional Research Service (June 21, 2011). - Report of the US Congressional Research Service. Date of treatment December 14, 2011. Archived on September 4, 2012.
- ↑ Army Successfully Tests Hypersonic Weapon Design . Site "Defense Tech". Date of treatment December 14, 2011. Archived on September 4, 2012.
- ↑ The Pentagon has signed a contract to create a hypersonic warhead , ria.ru; accessed March 6, 2019.
- ↑ The United States tested a hypersonic bomb . Lenta.ru (November 18, 2011). Date of treatment December 14, 2011. Archived on September 4, 2012.
- ↑ 1 2 3 Hypersonic warhead: the Pentagon’s secret weapon is ready for battle . Cnews (November 21, 2011). Date of treatment December 14, 2011. Archived on September 4, 2012.
- ↑ 1 2 3 Lukin M., Nasibullina E., Zhestarev D. Global hypersonic shock (Russian) // Kommersant. - M .: Kommersant , 2011. - Issue. 9 . - No. 9 .
- ↑ Jason B. Cutshaw. Army successfully launches Advanced Hypersonic Weapon demonstrator (English) (November 23, 2011). - Of. US Army website. Date of treatment December 14, 2011. Archived on May 17, 2012.
- ↑ Experimental US hypersonic weapon destroyed seconds after launch , Reuters (August 26, 2014). Date of treatment August 26, 2014.
- ↑ Hubbs, Mark. Advanced Hypersonic Weapon Flight Test 2 Hypersonic Technology Test: Environmental Assessment : journal. - US Army, 2014 .-- July. - P. 2-1 . Archived August 26, 2014.
- ↑ Gertz, Bill . Army Hypersonic Missile Fails in Second Test , The Washington Free Beacon (August 25, 2014). Date of treatment August 25, 2014.
Links
- Jason B. Cutshaw. Army successfully launches Advanced Hypersonic Weapon demonstrator (English) (November 23, 2011). - Of. US Army website. Date of treatment December 14, 2011. Archived on May 17, 2012.
- Army Successfully Tests Hypersonic Weapon Design
- “2,400 Miles in Minutes? No Sweat! Hypersonic Weapon Passes 'Easy' Test ”