Hypersonic Craft Is “Very Unique”

Jan. 27, 2006

Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org

Hypersonic Craft Is “Very Unique”: The joint Air Force and DARPA program to develop hypersonic technology comes in two parts: a glided or powered system and a link to low cost, responsive space launch vehicles. Air Force Research Lab’s Space Vehicles Directorate at Kirtland AFB, N.M., says the effort is it is on course to conduct the first glided hypersonic test vehicle flight in September 2007.

Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org

Trending Stories

Kuwaiti F/A-18 Aircraft Suspected of Shooting Down US F-15s

US Space Command Among ‘First Movers’ in Strikes Against Iran

Promotion Rate for Senior Master Sergeant Dips for First Time in Five Years

Air Force Updates Scoring Charts for New Fitness Test

Related

Airstrikes Shift Deeper Inside Iran as US Gains Air Superiority

March 4, 2026
Control of the skies in Operation Epic Fury is enabling the Pentagon to rely more on satellite- and laser-guided bombs, throttle back on expensive long-range standoff munitions, and move to a new phase of air war, defense officials said on March 4.  Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen.…

With E-3s Busy Over Iran, New Report Calls E-7 ‘Indispensible’

March 4, 2026
With more than a third of the Air Force's entire E-3 AWACS fleet deployed to support the war against Iran, the ability to perform airborne battle management, or ABM, remains essential to the broader joint force, a new think tank report argues.

Air Force Test Launches Unarmed ICBM with Two Reentry Vehicles

March 4, 2026
The Air Force conducted its first test of a Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile in 2026 on March 3, launching an unarmed missile from Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif., equipped with two test reentry vehicles at 11:01 p.m. Pacific Time.

Space Force Officials Preparing for More Budget Growth in 2027

March 3, 2026
After years of describing to lawmakers and Pentagon leaders the nature of that threat and the key role spacepower plays in deterring conflict in the domain and enabling the rest of the joint force, Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman told reporters during AFA’s Warfare Symposium here that the message appears to…

Bombers Need Wider Range of Weapons: Panel

March 3, 2026
B-2 bombers dropped precision-guided bombs on Iranian targets this week, demonstrating the flexibility and utility of U.S. Air Force long-range strike capabilities. But not all weapons can be delivered by bombers, a fact Air Force leaders want to overcome as they develop next-generation aircraft and weapons.