Wednesday, August 20, 2008

HCV

IOC: 2025

Also Known As: FALCON, HTV

Origin:United States of America

Contractor/s: Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman

Description: The HCV (Hypersonic Cruise Vehicle) or HTV (Hypersonic Technology Vehicle) is an hypersonic, long range, strike aircraft being developed under the FALCON (Force Application and Launch from CONUS-Continental United States) initiative. The new aircraft will feature a cruise speed greater than Mach 10, a combat radius of 16,000 km, and payload of 5,550 kg.

The HCV demonstrator first flight is planned for 2009 achieving initial operational capability as a global strike aircraft circa 2025. It will be able to hit any target on earth within 2 hours or less.

On 5 August 2004, the US Air Force and DARPA selected Lockheed-Martin team to conduct Phase II Task 2 effort. The Phase IIa six-month $8.4 million contract was awarded to Lockheed-Martin team for preliminary design of an hypersonic vehicle prototype. Phase IIb 30-month up to additional $97 million contract will be awarded following phase IIa completion for the development of an initial hypersonic vehicle testbed. Phase III will consists of multiple flight demonstrations.

Lockheed-Martin Hypersonic Technology Vehicle (HTV) HTV-1 vehicle will feature state-of-the-art hypersonic technologies, HTV-2 and HTV-3 test vehicles will be second and third generation hypersonic technology with increasingly advanced aerodynamic configurations and thermal protection systems, improved guidance, navigation, control systems and reusable materials.

Specifications
Weights: Payload 5,500 kg (12,125 lb)

Performance: Cruise Speed 2,656 mps (Mach 8), Max Range 16,000 km (8,639 nm), Top Speed 3,320 mps (Mach 10)

News
US Air Force Releases HTV Demonstrator Roadmap

Exploring New C-17 Capability

Scramjet-powered X-43A Breaks Speed Record

DARPA and US Air Force Award FALCON Phase II Task 2 Contracts

FALCON Program Phase I Contractors Selected

DARPA Launches the FALCON Program to Study Feasibility of Global Strike Missions

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Notes
(*) lead contractor
IOC: Initial Operating Capability
FOC: Full Operating Capability
CEP: Circular Error Probable
Comm: Commissioning Date
Meters (m) Kilometers (km) Nautic Miles (nm) Inch (in) Yard (yd) Foot (ft) Millimeter (mm)
Pound (lb) Kilogram (kg) kN (KiloNewton) Ton (t)
Meters per Second (mps) Kilometers per Hour (kph) Knot (kt) Miles per Hour (mph)
Liter (l) Galon (gl)
Year (yr) Minutes (min) Second (sec)
Shaft-Horse-Power (shp)

Last Updated: Monday, August 18, 2008

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