The US Air Force (USAF) has awarded a $985 million (USD) contract to develop hypersonic missiles. Raytheon won the tender for the scramjet-powered missile after eliminating other competitors in a one-year tender process. Raytheon will work on the Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM) from the prototype phase to becoming an operational weapon that can be used in combat.
Raytheon will provide two HACM prototypes. The USAF said the HACM would be a standoff weapon launched from the air to hit high-value targets. It is scheduled that HACM will be usable starting in 2027. The missile will fly at speeds over Mach 5 and is manoeuvrable, making it difficult to track and shoot down enemies.
