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| Title: "Hypersonic Persistent Configuration (HyPer) Development" Sponsor: Air Force Research Laboratory
Task: “Define a vehicle concept capable of satisfying the primary mission identified above (and detailed below). The vehicle will incorporate current-day technologies as well as technologies that are anticipated to be available in 10-15 years. As part of the design process, mission requirements will be evaluated, the impacts of existing/anticipated technologies will be assessed, and areas where technology infusion is required will be identified. A comparison of unmanned versus manned approaches, as well as a preliminary cost analysis, will be performed." |
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Context: “The Air Force has recently developed an
idea for a vehicle capable of both traveling at hypersonic speeds and loitering
for an extended period of time. Such a vehicle would be able to loiter outside
of a threat area and then dash in at hypersonic speeds to strike high-value,
time sensitive targets. This idea could evolve into a vehicle designed to cruise
hypersonically to a theater and then loiter to provide a show of force at the
onset of a conflict.”