The U.S. Air Force, in partnership with Australia, has conducted the first flight test of its Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM), with the Royal Australian Air Force executing the release of a test unit over a designated Australian test range, the Air Force confirmed Oct. 5.
“The U.S. Air Force, in partnership with Australia, has conducted a flight test of the Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM) as part of our continuous work to advance long-range strike capabilities,” an Air Force spokesperson said. “This effort is part of the Southern Cross Integrated Flight Research Experiment (SCIFiRE), a collaborative agreement built on more than 15 years of partnership between our two nations.”
The spokesperson added: “Leveraging this enduring alliance, the Royal Australian Air Force executed the release of a HACM flight test unit over a designated Australian test range, gathering crucial data to advance the program’s objectives. The flight was the culmination of an extensive series of tests designed to measure the missile’s performance under realistic flight conditions.”
The Air Force did not name the test range or say when the release occurred. It is unknown whether the missile flew under its own power after release or which aircraft carried it aloft. The Air Force previously said it planned to conduct HACM launches in Australia, and the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has reported that RAAF F/A-18F Super Hornets would be used for at least some test launches. The Air Force’s initial launch platform is the F-15E Strike Eagle, though others are expected to follow.
HACM is a scramjet-powered, two-stage missile consisting of a rocket booster and a scramjet cruiser that separates from the booster and dives toward its target, according to GAO. Hypersonic speed is generally defined as anything above Mach 5, but HACM’s peak speed is unknown. Raytheon (now RTX), in cooperation with Northrop Grumman, was chosen to develop the missile in 2022. The weapon has reportedly been designated AHM-4A.
The program has suffered significant delays, and the Air Force has scaled back overall testing plans to try to keep the program on schedule. The original goal had been to begin flight testing in 2024. The stated goal is to be able to make a decision to start rapidly acquiring HACMs in 2027.
Sources: Naval News · The War Zone