DARPA, one of the Pentagon’s premier R&D organizations, aims to create “technological surprise” and game-changing capabilities for the U.S. national security community. It has been credited with aiding major technological breakthroughs, including precision weapons, stealth technology, the internet and GPS, among others.

The agency has six technical offices overseeing biological technologies, defense sciences, information innovation, microsystems technology, strategic technology and tactical technology.

Winchell is coming to DARPA from the Pentagon’s Strategic Capabilities Office, where he served as the AI and autonomy portfolio leader.

Other high-tech organizations where he’s held leadership or technical roles include chief engineer with the Defense Department’s Algorithmic Warfare Cross Functional Team (Project Maven), Presidential Innovation Fellow at the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA), and program manager at Johns Hopkins University’s Applied Physics Laboratory.

Winchell is a U.S. Naval Academy graduate and served as a nuclear engineer in the activity-duty submarine community. He currently holds the rank of commander in the Navy Reserve.

His academic background includes a B.S. in physics and an M.S. degree in applied physics from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, as well as an M.S. degree in systems engineering from Johns Hopkins University and an MBA from the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business.

He’s expected to officially take the helm at DARPA on May 19.

Winchell will take over for Rob McHenry, who has been serving as DARPA’s acting director in the early months of the second Trump administration. Stefanie Tompkins led DARPA during the Biden administration.

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Pentagon officials see quantum sensors as promising capabilities for alternative positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR).

However, there are challenges involved in deploying the technology that DARPA aims to tackle with a new program that it’s looking to kick off, dubbed Robust Quantum Sensors (RoQS).

The initiative “seeks to bring quantum sensors to DoD platforms. While quantum sensors have demonstrated exceptional laboratory performance in a number of modalities (magnetic and electrical field, acceleration, rotation, and gravity, etc.), their performance degrades once the sensor is placed on moving platforms due to electrical and magnetic fields, field gradients, and system vibrations. RoQS seeks to overcome these challenges through innovative physics approaches to quantum sensing. The forthcoming RoQS program aims to develop and demonstrate quantum sensors that inherently resist performance degradation from platform interferers and demonstrate them on a government-provided platform,” officials wrote in a special notice and future program announcement recently posted on Sam.gov.

DARPA, which reports to the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, hopes to transition RoQS-developed sensors onto U.S. military platforms with associated programs of record to help fulfill requirements. To that end, the agency intends to work with contractors and platform builders to identify systems for quantum sensor integration and also government platform owners to facilitate integration and testing at the end of the program, per the notice.

Pentagon officials and others have been working to mature quantum technology for real-world applications.

Quantum tech “translates the principles of quantum physics into technological applications,” a recently updated Congressional Research Service report explained, including concepts like superposition — or the ability of quantum systems to exist in two or more states simultaneously — and entanglement where “two or more quantum objects in a system can be intrinsically linked such that measurement of one dictates the possible measurement outcomes for another, regardless of how far apart the two objects are.”

Although DOD officials see potential uses for quantum-enabled capabilities in other areas like computing, encryption and communications, sensing is considered by many observers to be the most mature application for near-term use by the Pentagon.

That’s the one “that we know by far the most about,” John Burke, principal director for quantum science in the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, said in June at a tech summit hosted by Defense One.

Such capabilities could provide an alternative to the Global Positioning System in case GPS is denied or degraded in future operating environments.

“You’ve probably heard about jamming and spoofing concerns, for example. So we’re busily working on other quantum technologies to input positioning and timing at the edge of the warfighter so that they don’t rely on GPS all the time,” Burke said. “So that’s sort of the earliest thing we’re working on. There’s a whole slew of technologies under that umbrella. We’re really pushing out on that. So even this year [in] 2024, we’ve got about $100 million coming out to work just on that area. So we’re really pushing hard on that.”

The Pentagon has been using its Accelerate the Procurement and Fielding of Innovative Technologies (APFIT) program to buy a new generation of atomic clocks that could be put into some “strategic assets,” he said, adding that “the first new wave of quantum technologies is really going out today.”

The CRS report noted that successful development and deployment of quantum sensors could boost detection of things like adversary submarines, underground structures, nuclear materials and electromagnetic emissions — and thereby help the U.S. military find concealed objects of interest and enemy forces.

For ISR there’s “an umbrella of remote sensing capabilities and a lot of different kinds of technologies in there. Things like magnetometers to find magnetic objects. You can imagine a lot of things that the military might care about … may have iron in them or steel, things that are magnetic. So we’re tracking trying to figure how to use those in all kinds of different ways,” Burke said.

Currently, quantum technologies are “a little bit expensive,” he noted.

“But that’s okay for certain strategic missions in the military. So we’re starting from those kinds of missions that go with anything — submarines, strategic bombers, long-range sort of missiles … these kinds of assets, to start inserting new technologies,” he said. “We have these things called magnetometers you can put in systems for like this thing called magnetic navigation. It’s extremely robust. We’re really excited about that. There’s navigation technologies. Once we get those established, we can start building up the manufacturing base, first in the Defense Department. That’s the path that we’ve taken. But I think in the long run, you’re gonna see these kinds of technologies proliferate into civilian” sectors.

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The Lockheed Martin-subsidiary will add its MATRIX autonomy system onto the upgraded helicopter, designated MX, in 2025, allowing the Army’s Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) to test and mature a range of autonomous flight capabilities — from solo-pilot ops to fully unmanned flight, according to a press release.

“Autonomy-enabled aircraft will reduce pilot workload, dramatically improve flight safety, and give battle commanders the flexibility to perform complex missions in contested and congested battlespace, day or night in all weather conditions,” Rich Benton, Sikorsky vice president and general manager, said in a statement. “Soldiers will rely on Black Hawk helicopters into the 2070s, and modernizing the aircraft today will pay dividends for decades across Army Aviation’s current and future aircraft.”

As the Army modernizes its aviation fleet under its future vertical lift portfolio, leaders have been keen on integrating autonomy and artificial intelligence where they can. That includes introducing new drones — such as the Future Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System (FTUAS) and smaller “launched effects” — as well as looking at ways manned platforms can carry autonomous flight capabilities.

Sikorsky’s MATRIX autonomy is the foundation of the companies work on DARPA’s Aircrew Labor In-cockpit Automation system (ALIAS) program, which looks to develop a customizable, removable system that introduces AI-enabled flight into existing aircraft while reducing cognitive loads on pilots. As part of the program, the company demonstrated the first-ever flight of a UH-60A “optionally piloted” Black Hawk without any crew onboard in 2022.

The upgraded MX Black Hawk will be almost exactly like Sikorsky’s UH-60A fly-by-wire Black Hawk. The new contract will enable DEVCOM to experiment and mature applications of autonomous flight and develop concepts of operations around scalable autonomy, according to the company.

“Evaluation will include assessment of different sensor suites to perceive and avoid threats, obstacles and terrain, and develop standards and system specifications interfaced with the MATRIX system and a fly-by-wire flight control system,” per the press release.

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Slingshot Aerospace announced Wednesday that it has partnered with DARPA to create Agatha — an AI-enabled system able to distinguish potentially harmful space vehicles within large satellite constellations. The company recently demonstrated Agatha’s ability to identify multiple “non-nefarious outlier” satellites operating in real-world commercial constellations, according to a Slingshot news release.

First tapped by DARPA for the project in 2023, the company has since trained Agatha on over six decades of simulated constellation data created by the firm. With the program completed as of January, Slingshot is actively engaging with U.S. government agencies and commercial space companies to discuss integrating Agatha into their respective space domain awareness missions.

“As space activity shifts from satellites owned by a small number of operators to massive constellations operated by an array of owners, the need for transparency increases,” Dylan Kesler, director of data science and AI at Slingshot Aerospace, said in a statement. “The ability to quickly identify anomalies — whether a malfunctioning spacecraft or an intentionally nefarious ‘wolf in sheep’s clothing’ — is an increasingly important aspect of maintaining safety and security in space and on Earth.” 

To categorize satellites in orbit, Agatha’s AI specifically uses inverse reinforcement learning techniques to evaluate an object’s behavior and identify its intentions. According to Slingshot, the AI automatically takes in space data and works to identify anomalies in real-time without a cue from operators.

Not only does it determine exceptions in maneuvers, but also aims to discern the strategic reasoning for why a satellite may be acting strangely, the company stated.

“Identifying malfunctioning or potentially nefarious objects and their objectives within large satellite constellations is a complex challenge that required us to reach beyond traditional approaches and develop a novel and scalable AI algorithm,” Kesler said. “Our Agatha model has also proven its ability to deliver high-quality insights that provide ‘explainability’ or context for why specific objects were flagged.” 

The technology comes as both commercial and government organizations around the world plan to launch large satellites constellations into space — including U.S. adversaries. China plans to launch two mega-constellations that comprise over 20,000 satellites this year, and the Pentagon confirmed that Russia launched what is likely a counterspace weapon to target American systems in low-Earth orbit (LEO) in March.

In response, leaders across the Pentagon have expressed concern over adversaries hiding satellites in these large constellations that can spy on and potentially harm U.S. systems. To help operators in handling the growing number of objects, U.S. Space Command and the Space Force are seeking capabilities that can offer improved situational awareness.

“One of the main things we need in space as we move forward is space domain awareness. We need to be able to characterize the domain, we need to understand what is what, where and also what’s its intent,” Chief Master Sergeant Jacob Simmons, senior enlisted leader at Spacecom, told reporters during a meeting at the annual Space Symposium in April. “Gone are the days that a satellite would just follow the physics, … they maneuver and we have to be able to keep custody and be able to not only track, but understand in the gaps where it might have gone.”

As Slingshot looks to deploy Agatha in real-world operations for space domain awareness, Space Systems Command is separately leveraging AI to help coordinate the multiple sensors on orbit. The acquisition command is currently testing a system known as Machina that assists operators in running space-based sensors used to observe objects in space, according to Col. Bryon McClain, program executive officer for space domain awareness and combat power at SSC.

“Instead of asking a specific sensor to look at a specific object, you type in what your problem set is and the system helps generate what is the best orchestration of sensors to meet that problem set,” McClain said Wednesday during a webinar hosted by C4ISRNet.

While Machina is still considered experimental, McClain said SSC is already rolling it out to some warfighters for real operations. He emphasized that as AI continues to advance, it has potential to assist the Space Force in data processing and completing repetitive tasks.

“We are continuously looking at what opportunities are out there and where we can blend that new technology,” he said.

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Aurora announced Wednesday that it has successfully completed the critical design review and begun fabricating the drone, part of DARPA’s Control of Revolutionary Aircraft with Novel Effectors (CRANE) program aimed at proving and maturing active flow control (AFC) technology.

The Virginia-based company and the Pentagon agency are looking to conduct the first flight of the X-plane in the summer of 2025.

“As we move into the manufacturing phase, we are getting ever closer to fulfilling the goal of validating AFC technology and helping to open the design trade space for future applications. X-65 has the potential to change the future of aircraft design,” Kevin Uleck, CRANE program director at Aurora Flight Sciences, a Boeing subsidiary, said in a statement.

The X-65’s sleek, aerodynamic design features AFC effectors across the platform’s flying surfaces that are used to control its roll, pitch and yaw. The technology allows for operators to maneuver the system with bursts of air instead of external moving parts, such as the wing flaps and tail rudders found on most of today’s planes.

According to DARPA, removing these parts could offer a range of performance enhancements for future aircraft by reducing their weight, drag and mechanical complexity. 

“The X-65 is a technology demonstrator, and its distinctive, diamond-like wing shape is designed to help us maximize what we can learn about AFC in full-scale, real-world tests,” Richard Wlezien, DARPA’s program manager for CRANE, said in a statement.

Aurora Flight Sciences and Lockheed Martin were both tapped by the agency in 2021 to conduct preliminary design work for phase 1 of the CRANE program. Aurora eventually moved on to phase 2 as sole contractor, receiving a $42 million deal in 2023 to complete detailed design work and develop flight software and controls. The contract also included an option for a phase 3 manufacturing period.

According to DARPA, the full-scale X-65 built in phase 3 will weigh over 7,000 pounds, have a 30-foot wingspan and be able to reach speeds of up to Mach 0.7 — around 537 miles per hour. The modular design will feature replaceable outboard wings and AFC effectors — meaning various AFC designs could be tested on the X-plane in the future.

The demonstrator aircraft will incorporate mechanical flaps and rudders that are intended to serve as a baseline for the platform’s performance, as well as AFC effectors that will replace moving surfaces throughout the testing cycle.

“The X-65 conventional surfaces are like training wheels to help us understand how AFC can be used in place of traditional flaps and rudders,” Wlezien said. “We’ll have sensors in place to monitor how the AFC effectors’ performance compares with traditional control mechanisms, and these data will help us better understand how AFC could revolutionize both military and commercial craft in the future.”

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The 10-Year Lunar Architecture, or LunA-10, capability study aims to define the analytical frameworks for an infrastructure that will be key to laying the foundations for a future self-sustaining lunar economy. The goal of the study is to better understand what a moon-based economy could look like, and therefore what investments will be needed to realize it.

Over the next seven months, DARPA and companies chosen to participate in the study will work together to design new integrated solutions for a moon-based economy — including “lunar power; mining and commercial in-situ resource utilization; communications, navigation, and timing; transit, mobility, and logistics; and construction and robotics,” according to an agency press release.

The vendors chosen range from traditional government contractors to smaller start-up companies. They include Blue Origin, CisLunar Industries, Crescent Space Services, Fibertek, Inc., Firefly Aerospace, GITAI, Helios, Honeybee Robotics, ICON, Nokia of America, Northrop Grumman, Redwire Corporation, Sierra Space and SpaceX.

“LunA-10 has the potential to upend how the civil space community thinks about spurring widespread commercial activity on and around the Moon within the next 10 years,” Michael Nayak, program manager for DARPA’s Strategic Technology Office, said in a statement. “LunA-10 performers include companies both big and small, domestic and international, each of which brought a clear vision and technically rigorous plan for advancing quickly towards our goal: a self-sustaining, monetizable, commercially owned-and-operated lunar infrastructure. We’re excited to get started and to share results with the lunar community at large.”

The study will conclude in June 2024, and the agency plans to publish an analytical framework with defined infrastructure and a plan for scaling the systems. Before that, participants will have the opportunity to brief the lunar community on their work at the Lunar Surface Innovation Consortium (LSIC) Spring Meeting in April 2024, a DARPA press release stated.

According to a presolicitation released in August, the study will focus on three thrust areas — energy, communications and mobility — in addition to other relevant concepts for lunar infrastructure.

Notably, the study focuses on “multi-service” infrastructure — meaning a single infrastructure node that could perform more than one function. In an interview with DefenseScoop in August, Nayak explained that this helps address some of the logistical challenges of getting to the moon.

The United States, other nations and the commercial space industry have been working to return to the moon to further study it and potentially stand up a lunar economy. A number of government programs are currently underway — from NASA’s Artemis program to DARPA’s Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations (DRACO) nuclear thermal rocket engine — that aim to establish a regular human presence on the moon before the end of the decade.

LunA-10 won’t fund the development or fielding of the technologies identified in the study, but instead serve as a vehicle for industry collaboration. The study is strictly tailored to capabilities for commercial and economic use, and DARPA anticipates that the study will not be applicable for military applications.

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The effort, a collaboration between the Pentagon, the Department of the Interior’s U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), was included in a long list of initiatives released by the White House on Monday highlighting new efforts to strengthen the nation’s supply chains.

The organizations “will host a series of hackathons beginning in February 2024 to develop novel artificial intelligence approaches to assess domestic critical mineral resources,” according to a White House fact sheet.

The hackathons are a component of DARPA’s Critical Mineral Assessments with AI Support (CriticalMAAS) program.

“The goal of this AI exploration effort is to transform the workflow from a serial, predominantly manual, intermittently updated approach, to a highly parallel, continuous AI-assisted capability that is comprehensive in scope, efficient in scale, and generalizable across an array of applications,” a DARPA press release stated.

The effort builds upon a 2022 collaboration between DARPA and the USGS, MITRE and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, called the AI for Critical Mineral Assessment Competition, which held prize challenges focused on automated map georeferencing and map feature extraction.

DARPA posted an “Artificial Intelligence Exploration Opportunity” solicitation on Sam.gov in May that invited organizations to submit research proposals for four technical areas that expand on the previous effort’s focuses — extracting geospatial data from maps and documents, model extraction from knowledge, mineral potential mapping exploiting multi-model fusion, and human-in-the-loop and mixed-initiative modeling.

Last year, USGS released a list of 50 minerals that are considered critical to the United States’ economy and national security — from widely used resources like aluminum to so-called rare earth elements that are difficult to produce using domestic supply chains.

USGS is required to assess all of the nation’s critical mineral resources and update its list every four years, as mandated by the 2020 Energy Act. However, the process can be labor intensive — with USGS estimating that thoroughly assessing all critical minerals using current data, techniques and tools could take up to 50 years.

“Successful [critical mineral assessments] require fusing multi-modal data from geologic maps, mineral exploration results, geophysics, geochemistry, remote sensing and more,” the solicitation noted. “Many of the required data sources are not accessible in computable forms, either because the maps or tables were produced in the pre-digital era or because of lack of access to the original data sources, which may be proprietary. The result is that the USGS can only use a small fraction of existing data for a [critical mineral assessments].”

The solicitation also cited insufficient models of critical minerals, as well as constraints in time and personnel resources, as additional factors that bog down the assessment process.

Each of the four technical areas for CriticalMAAS aims to tackle different parts of these problems with AI-enabled solutions.

For example, DARPA is looking for algorithms that can pull data from various USGS maps and documents — some upwards of 100 years old — and turn it into high-quality digital maps that include “points, lines, and polygons accurately extracted and georeferenced.”

Other technical areas call on teams to create more detailed models of mineral deposits; develop algorithms that predict probability that a mineral deposit exists; and more broadly implement human-in-the-loop modeling and learning in each step in the critical mineral assessment workflow.

The program will be divided into a year-long phase 1 and optional six-month phase 2, according to the solicitation. Teams chosen for the first phase will participate in at least three hackathon events and an end-of-phase evaluation, the solicitation noted. Those who successfully complete challenges in phase 1 will advance to phase 2, where teams will participate in another hackathon and final evaluation and demonstration.

Although the primary focus of CriticalMAAS is on critical mineral assessment, DARPA expects that the resulting AI capabilities and data products can be transferred to other uses for government missions — including water resource management and new clean energy sources, according to the agency.

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The 10-Year Lunar Architecture, or LunA-10, capability review aims to define the analytical frameworks for an infrastructure that will be key in laying the foundations for a future self-sustaining lunar economy. By understanding what infrastructure is needed, as well as the desired end-state, DARPA hopes the LunA-10 assessment can help drive current investments in moon-based economies, said Michael Nayak, program manager for DARPA’s Strategic Technology Office.

“We care about this lunar economy of the future, and we’re getting there,” Nayak said in an interview with DefenseScoop on Tuesday. “There’s some big leaps that have been made in commercial investment. But are there perhaps some tipping points that can really push us in the near term — so the next 10-years — towards the idea of a lunar infrastructure?”

Nayak described the seven-month study as “fast and furious.” According to a presolicitation published on Sam.gov on Tuesday, DARPA is looking to bring together companies from the lunar services commercial industry that have ideas for how infrastructure technology can be delivered to and operated on the moon. The study will not fund specific tech development or transportation to the moon, it noted.

LunA-10 is focusing exclusively on “multi-service” infrastructure — meaning a single infrastructure node could perform more than one function — as a way to address logistical challenges to getting to the moon, Nayak said. As an example, that could entail fusing a power station, communications and positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) capabilities onto a single node, he explained. 

“Let’s say I’m using an optical wavelength to transfer power [via] power beaming. If I’m going to that trouble, can I also just code onto that beam a navigation waveform so now I can tell you where you are with reference to me?” he said. “Now, let me encode communications waveforms onto it so I can get back telemetry [and] provide you telemetry.”

Nayak added that the study is a way to bring together companies from the commercial space industry that are individually concentrating on developing one specific function and foster collaboration between them. 

“We’re at this moment where there are so many companies that are doing amazing things without the government’s assistance, and that’s awesome,” he said. “But where is it going? And can we help figure out what the stumbling blocks are ahead and then start working on technical solutions now that could solve these problems in the future?”

The United States and other nations, as well as the commercial industry, have grown increasingly interested in returning to the moon and creating a lunar economy. NASA’s Artemis program aims to establish a regular human presence on the moon before the end of the decade, and the organization released its own plan in April to create an architecture there.

Meanwhile, the U.S. military has also begun looking towards the moon. DARPA and NASA recently tapped Lockheed Martin to build and test the Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations (DRACO) nuclear thermal rocket engine.

However, Nayak emphasized that the LunA-10 study is specifically catered to commercial and economic use and that officials anticipate no military uses with the technology they’re developing. He added that the program is in line with NASA’s goals for the Artemis Accords, which establish an international framework for the civil exploration and peaceful use of the moon and other planets in outer space.

LunA-10 is looking into three thrust areas — energy, communications and mobility — as well as other relevant concepts. When understanding the possibilities of a lunar economy, DARPA wanted to focus on foundational elements first that could eventually be scaled, Nayak said.

Power and energy are obvious necessities for sustaining economic activity on the moon, but can be challenging when considering some of the energy-deficient places on the moon like the lunar south pole, he said. DARPA’s presolicitation notes that the agency is specifically interested in wireless power beaming infrastructure and excludes surface nuclear fission.

The study is also looking into surface-to-surface and surface-to-lunar orbit communications, as well as communications to and from the Earth and the moon, according to the presolicitation.

“This is the next 10 years that we’re looking at, and so there’s probably not a lot of automation, there’s probably not a lot of people or equipment or logistics that have been established,” Nayak said. “Whatever we field on the moon, whatever commercial services are just starting to get operating, they need to report back on how they’re doing, what the problems are and how they are monetizing.”

The third focus area, mobility, isn’t considered an immediate problem but it’s one that DARPA wants to tackle early on, Nayak noted. It will look into how equipment sent to the moon on heavy-lift rockets is dispersed across its surface so that it isn’t anchored to its landing site forever. 

“We want more exploration, we want more range, we want to go over the horizon to the next crater. [But] how do I move all of that stuff? What are the logistics of mobility? And so, moving from that central node outward I think is a key. That’s where we go from the foundational lunar economy,” he explained.

DARPA is asking companies to submit a three-page abstract by Sept. 6, followed by a 10-page white paper and technical presentation by Sept. 26 if requested by the agency. DARPA will announce the firms that were chosen to participate in LunA-10 during the meeting of the Lunar Surface Innovation Consortium (LSIC) in October in Pittsburgh.

The study will conclude in June 2024, and DARPA hopes to publish an analytical framework with a defined infrastructure and plan for system scaling. Throughout the review, the industry team will routinely meet with NASA for discussion and feedback, Nayak said.

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Raytheon received an $81 million contract to work on the More Opportunities with the Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept, or MoHAWC, the Pentagon announced Saturday. The new effort is a successor to the HAWC program — a joint initiative between DARPA and the Air Force to develop and demonstrate an air-breathing hypersonic cruise missile — that wrapped up in January with its final successful flight test.

The follow-on effort aims to continue development, integration and demonstration of technologies to prove the effectiveness and efficiency of air-launched hypersonic cruise missiles, Salvatore Buccellato, DARPA program manager, told DefenseScoop in an email.

“These technologies include advancing hydrocarbon scramjet-powered propulsion operation, upgrading aircraft integration algorithms, and improving manufacturing approaches,” Buccellato wrote.

Under the new contract, Raytheon and Northrop Grumman will build and fly additional HAWC flight vehicles, applying data and lessons learned during the original program to mature the weapon’s design, a company press release said. The team will add manufacturing improvements to the original vehicle’s design and flight tests to “expand its operating envelope while validating system performance models,” the release added.

DARPA’s budget request for fiscal 2024 includes $30 million for MoHAWC. The program’s estimated deadline is January 2026, according to the contract announcement.

MoHAWC is one of the many hypersonic weapons programs currently underway within the Pentagon. Able to travel at speeds of Mach 5 or greater through the atmosphere and maneuver mid-flight, hypersonic missiles are much harder to detect and intercept when compared to conventional ballistic missiles that fly predictable flight paths.

Raytheon served as a prime contractor for DARPA’s original HAWC program and conducted several flight tests of a missile propelled by a Northrop Grumman air-breathing propulsion system. Also called a scramjet, air-breathing engines achieve hypersonic flight by pulling oxygen in from the atmosphere.

“We applied learnings from each successful HAWC flight test to ensure that it is the most sophisticated system of its kind,” Colin Whelan, president of Advanced Technology for Raytheon, said Monday in a statement. “Continuing this important program will expand our knowledge of hypersonic flight and allow us to deliver the critical capability our warfighters need.”

Lockheed Martin also worked on the HAWC program, partnering with Aerojet Rocketdyne. However, Buccellato confirmed to DefenseScoop that Raytheon will be the only performer on the follow-on MoHAWC effort. 

While HAWC was a joint effort with the Air Force, MoHAWC will bring in both the Air Force and the Navy for collaboration “to meet future technology insertion dates for service programs of record,” Buccellato noted.

The Air Force has two different hypersonic programs: the Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) and the Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM). After ARRW failed an all-up-round prototype test in March, the service decided to scrap its procurement plans for the weapon and instead focus on the more successful HACM.

Raytheon is also the prime contractor for HACM and received a $985 million contract from the Air Force in September. Like HAWC, the weapon is a cruise missile — which the service has had a bit more success with compared to boost-glide hypersonics such as ARRW. The airframe and engine designs of HAWC are very close to HACM’s, meaning that program will also directly benefit from MoHAWC’s advancements, according to Raytheon.

The Navy, however, has focused its hypersonic development efforts on Conventional Prompt Strike — a sea-launched weapon to be installed on Zumwalt-class destroyers in fiscal 2025 and Virginia-class submarines in fiscal 2028. The sea service is also pursuing the Hypersonic Air Launched Offensive Anti-Surface (HALO) weapon, although Navy program managers have indicated the weapon might not actually reach hypersonic speeds.

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The LongShot program aims to develop an unmanned aerial vehicle able to fire multiple air-to-air weapons while flying alongside or ahead of manned aircraft in order to extend ranges and reduce risk, according to a DARPA release. The three-phased effort began in 2021, when General Atomics, Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin were all chosen to provide preliminary designs of the drone.

General Atomics now remains the sole prime contractor in the program. After scoring the phase 2 contract to create detailed designs and ground demonstrations of key subsystems in March, the company has moved beyond the critical design review phase and will complete phase 3, according to an award announcement posted to Sam.gov on Wednesday.

A DARPA spokesperson told DefenseScoop in an email that the third and final phase of the LongShot program will have General Atomics manufacture and conduct flight tests of its system.

According to the agency’s budget proposal for fiscal 2024, DARPA plans to ramp up fabrication, testing and demonstration of the LongShot flight test vehicle. The $44 million request would be used to integrate the drones into host aircraft and conduct a series of proof-of-concept flight tests and demonstrations.

The LongShot UAV will be able to be launched from manned fighter jets, transports or other aircraft, and will carry munitions to shoot down enemy aerial threats, according to General Atomics. A company spokesperson declined to comment on the phase 3 contract award.

“The LongShot program changes the paradigm of air combat operations by demonstrating an unmanned, air-launched vehicle capable of employing current and advanced air-to-air weapons,” Lt. Col. Paul Calhoun, DARPA program manager, said in a 2021 release after the project kicked off. “LongShot will disrupt traditional incremental weapon improvements by providing an alternative means of generating combat capability.”

Both the Air Force and Navy have become interested in armed robotic wingmen that can fly alongside crewed aircraft. The Air Force is pursuing drones known as “collaborative combat aircraft” that will pair with the service’s sixth-generation Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter jets and other manned systems.

At the same time, the Navy is looking to deploy similar platforms with its future carrier air wings. The sea service has been working with the Air Force on the development of both next-generation fighter jets and the accompanying loyal wingman drones.

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