Defense company Kratos Defense & Security Solutions announced on January 10, 2023 that it will participate in the development project of the “Air Breathing Hypersonic Missile System” promoted by the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). In December 2022, it received an order for development from AFRL and signed a partnership agreement with the defense company Leidos, which is in charge of the project. The duration of the project is 51 months.
Known as “Mayhem,” the project will use scramjet engine technology to achieve speeds of Mach 5 and above and long range. A scramjet engine is intended for high-speed flight, and is characterized by a simple structure that does not have a mechanical compression mechanism, compared to general aircraft turbojet engines. It can perform both attack and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions, and is said to exceed current air-breathing systems in terms of both range and payload.
Under this agreement, the company will serve as a System Design Agent (SDA) along with Leidos, Calspan and Draper. The SDA team will oversee the design of the hypersonic system, including airframe and propulsion systems, boosters, electronics and vehicle subsystems, prototype manufacturing and testing, and ultimately delivery of the design data required for manufacturing. do.
