The Arnold Engineering Development Center’s Tunnel 9 facility in White Oak, Md., recently completed the mission-critical testing of the Hypersonic Technology Vehicle 1—a joint Air Force and DARPA program that is developing and demonstrating hypersonic technology. The capability envisioned involves a reusable Hypersonic Cruise Vehicle capable of delivering 12,000 pounds of payload up to 9,000 nautical miles in less than two hours. AEDC engineers completed more than 30 successful runs with the HTV-1 model, simulating speeds of Mach 10 and 14.
The Air Force plans to field at least 500 semi-autonomous fighter drones known as Collaborative Combat Aircraft by 2032, and another 500 cheap reconnaissance and strike drones known as Massed Modular Aircraft that same year, Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said Sept. 14.
