Engineering:Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile

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Short description: Australian-American air-launched hypersonic cruise missile

Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM)
HAWC missile render, the preceding program for HACM
TypeHypersonic air-launched cruise missile
Place of originUnited States
Australia
Service history
In serviceIn development; in service from FY2027
Used byUnited States Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
Production history
DesignerRTX Corporation
Northrop Grumman
Specifications
EngineScramjet
Operational
range
1,000 nmi (1,900 km)[1][2]
SpeedMach 8 (2.7223 km/s; 9,800 km/h; 6,090 mph)[2][3][4]
Launch
platform
In American Service:
F-15E Strike Eagle[5]
In Australian service:
F/A-18F Super Hornet[6]
EA-18G Growler[7]
F-35A Lightning II[7]
P-8A Poseidon[7]

The Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM; pronounced Hack-em[8]) is an Australian-American scramjet-powered hypersonic air-launched cruise missile project, the successor of the Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept (HAWC) and the SCIFiRE hypersonic programs.[9]

Technology developed for the HAWC demonstrator was used to influence the design of the HACM, a U.S. Air Force Program of Record to create a scramjet-powered hypersonic missile it could deploy as an operational weapon.[10]


Development

In December 2021, Raytheon Technologies was awarded a $985 million contract to continue its HACM development.[11]

The contract to develop HACM further was awarded to Raytheon in September 2022.[12] HACM will use a Northrop Grumman scramjet.[13][14] It is designed to be smaller than the AGM-183 ARRW and able to fly along “vastly different trajectories” than the boost-glide ARRW.[15]

The system will give the US military "tactical flexibility to employ fighters to hold high-value, time-sensitive targets at risk, while maintaining bombers for other strategic targets."[5][16][17][18] Following the U.S. Air Force's decision to not pursue procurement of ARRW in March 2023, the HACM became the service's only hypersonic weapon program.[19] Though the USAF confirmed that they would not be purchasing any hypersonic weapons in FY 2024, the budget request for the upcoming fiscal year includes $380 million for R&D on the HACM,[11] followed by a proposed $517 million in FY 2025.[15] The United States hopes to have the missile in operational capacity by FY 2027.[20]

The United States Air Force has stated that Australian testing facilities will be used for testing of HACM.[20][21]


In June 2025, it was revealed that the program was behind schedule, and the number of tests before entering service would be limited. Prior to this announcement, it had been reported that the missile was actually ahead of schedule.[22] The program falling behind schedule was due to the programs major design review slipping from early 2024 to September 2024, this tightened the testing schedule to only 5 test flights before the planned rapid fielding decision in FY2027.[23]

Future Operators

 United States
 Australia

See also

References

  1. ↑ Trevithick, Joseph (December 27, 2023). "B52 needs new pylons to carry max load of hypersonic missiles". https://www.twz.com/b-52-needs-new-pylons-to-carry-max-load-of-hypersonic-missiles. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Tegler, Eric. "Is DOD's approach to buying hypersonic weapons too expensive?". https://www.forbes.com/sites/erictegler/2024/01/04/is-dods-approach-to-buying-hypersonic-weapons-too-expensive/. 
  3. ↑ "U.S. Hypersonic Weapons and Alternatives". https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/2023-01/58255-hypersonic.pdf. 
  4. ↑ "Hypersonic missile integration with aircraft". August 14, 2023. https://www.airforce-technology.com/comment/hypersonic-missiles-aircraft-integration/. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Bugos, Shannon. "First U.S. Hypersonic Deployment on Track for 2023". https://www.armscontrol.org/act/2022-11/news/first-us-hypersonic-deployment-track-2023. 
  6. ↑ "Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile to be integrated on RAAF Super Hornets - Australian Defence Magazine" (in en). https://www.australiandefence.com.au/news/news/hypersonic-attack-cruise-missile-to-be-integrated-on-raaf-super-hornets. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 https://www.airforce.gov.au/our-work/projects-and-programs/scifire-hypersonics
  8. ↑ "Hypersonics" (in en). https://www.rtx.com/raytheon/what-we-do/hypersonics. 
  9. ↑ "Air Force announces hypersonic missile contract award". https://www.eglin.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3169148/air-force-announces-hypersonic-missile-contract-award/https://www.eglin.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3169148/air-force-announces-hypersonic-missile-contract-award/. 
  10. ↑ "Successful HAWC Test Doesn't End DARPA's Hypersonic Scramjet Efforts". July 22, 2022. https://www.airforcemag.com/successful-hawc-test-doesnt-end-darpas-hypersonic-scramjet-efforts/. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Leone, Dario (2023-03-22). "The USAF Won't Purchase Hypersonic Missiles in 2024" (in en-GB). https://theaviationgeekclub.com/the-usaf-wont-purchase-hypersonic-missiles-in-2024/. 
  12. ↑ "US Air Force selects Raytheon Missiles & Defense, Northrop Grumman to deliver first hypersonic air-breathing missile" (in en-US). September 22, 2022. https://www.rtx.com/news/news-center/2022/09/23/us-air-force-selects-raytheon-missiles-defense-northrop-grumman-to-deliver-fir. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Raytheon/Northrop Grumman team selected for HACM hypersonic weapon". 26 September 2022. https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/raytheonnorthrop-grumman-team-selected-for-hacm-hypersonic-weapon. 
  14. ↑ "US Air Force Selects Raytheon Missiles & Defense, Northrop Grumman to Deliver First Hypersonic Air-Breathing Missile". https://news.northropgrumman.com/news/releases/us-air-force-selects-raytheon-missiles-defense-northrop-grumman-to-deliver-first-hypersonic-air-breathing-missile. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Losey, Stephen (2024-03-19). "US Air Force conducts final test of Lockheed's hypersonic missile" (in en). https://www.defensenews.com/air/2024/03/19/us-air-force-conducts-final-test-of-lockheeds-hypersonic-missile/. 
  16. ↑ "First U.S. Hypersonic Deployment on Track for 2023 | Arms Control Association". https://www.armscontrol.org/act/2022-11/news/first-us-hypersonic-deployment-track-2023. 
  17. ↑ Losey, Stephen (2023-03-28). "ARRW hypersonic missile test failed, US Air Force admits" (in en). https://www.c4isrnet.com/air/2023/03/28/arrw-hypersonic-missile-test-failed-us-air-force-admits/. 
  18. ↑ Audrey Decker (28 Mar 2023) Failed Hypersonic Test Dims Air Force View of Lockheed Missile Air Force R&D funding for ARRW and HACM tests is $150 million and $380 million, respectively. "ARRW and HACM are just two of the U.S. military's hypersonic efforts; in all, the Pentagon is requesting $11 billion for hypersonic R&D in 2024"
  19. ↑ Air Force Pulls Plug On Much-Hyped Hypersonic Missile. The Drive/The War Zone. 30 March 2023.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 "Air Force announces hypersonic missile contract award" (in en-US). 2022-09-22. https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3167976/air-force-announces-hypersonic-missile-contract-award/https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3167976/air-force-announces-hypersonic-missile-contract-award/. 
  21. ↑ Trevithick, Joseph (2024-06-18). "Australian F/A-18F Super Hornets To Test Launch U.S. Air Force's Hypersonic Cruise Missiles" (in en-US). https://www.twz.com/air/australian-f-a-18f-super-hornets-to-test-launch-u-s-air-forces-hypersonic-cruise-missiles. 
  22. ↑ measley (2025-06-11). "GAO warns that Air Force's hypersonic cruise missile program is behind schedule" (in en-US). https://defensescoop.com/2025/06/11/gao-report-air-force-hacm-hypersonic-cruise-missile-behind-schedule/. 
  23. ↑ Kumar, A. (2025-12-08). "U.S Air Force Builds 13 HACM Prototypes as Hypersonic Program Speeds Toward 2027 Deployment" (in en). https://www.thedefensenews.com/news-details/US-Air-Force-Builds-13-HACM-Prototypes-as-Hypersonic-Program-Speeds-Toward-2027-Deployment/. 

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