Advances in hypersonic technology have led to the creation of high-speed weapon systems. They, in turn, have been identified as a key area in the direction of which the military needs to move in order to keep up with opponents in terms of technology.
In the past few decades, large-scale development has been carried out in this technology area, while the principle of cyclicality has been widely used, with one research campaign used as the basis for the next. This process led to significant advances in hypersonic weapon technology. For two decades, developers have actively used hypersonic technology, mainly in ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as in gliding blocks with a rocket booster.
Active work is done in areas such as simulation, wind tunnel testing, nose cone design, smart materials, reentry dynamics, and custom software. As a result, hypersonic ground launch systems now have a high level of readiness and high accuracy, allowing the military to attack a wide range of targets. In addition, these systems can significantly weaken the enemy's existing missile defenses.
American programs
The US Department of Defense and other government agencies are increasingly focusing on the development of hypersonic weapons, which, according to experts, will reach the required level of development in the 2020s. This is evidenced by the increase in investment and resources allocated by the Pentagon for hypersonic research.
The US Army's Rocket and Space Systems Administration and the Sandia National Laboratory are collaborating on the Advanced Hypersonic Weapon (AHW), now known as the Alternate Re-Entry System. This system uses an HGV (hypersonic glide vehicle) hypersonic gliding unit to deliver a conventional warhead, similar to the DARPA and US Air Force's Hypersonic Technology Vehicle-2 (HTV-2) concept. However, this unit can be installed on a carrier rocket with a shorter range than in the case of the HTV-2, which in turn may indicate the priority of advanced deployment, for example, on land or at sea. The HGV unit, structurally different from the HTV-2 (conical, not wedge-shaped), is equipped with a high-precision guidance system at the end of the trajectory.
The first flight of the AHW rocket in November 2011 made it possible to demonstrate the level of sophistication of hypersonic planning technologies with a rocket accelerator, thermal protection technologies, and also check the parameters of the test site. The gliding unit, launched from a rocket range in Hawaii and flying about 3800 km, successfully hit its target.
The second test launch was carried out from the Kodiak launch site in Alaska in April 2014. However, 4 seconds after the launch, the controllers gave the command to destroy the rocket when the external thermal protection touched the control unit of the launch vehicle. The next test launch of a smaller version was carried out from a rocket range in the Pacific Ocean in October 2017. This smaller version was adapted to fit a standard submarine-launched ballistic missile.
For scheduled test launches under the AHW program, the Department of Defense has requested $ 86 million for fiscal 2016, $ 174 million for fiscal year 2017, $ 197 million for 2018 and $ 263 million for 2019. The latest request, along with plans to continue the AHW test program, indicate that the ministry is definitely committed to developing and deploying the system using the AHW platform.
In 2019, the program will focus on the production and testing of a launch vehicle and a hypersonic glider that will be used in flight experiments; on the continuation of the study of promising systems in order to check the cost, lethality, aerodynamic and thermal characteristics; and on conducting additional research to assess alternatives, feasibility and concepts for integrated solutions.
DARPA, together with the US Air Force, are simultaneously implementing the HSSW (High Speed Strike Weapon) demonstration program, which consists of two main projects: the TBG (Tactical Boost-Glide) program, developed by Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, and the HAWC (Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept) program.), led by Boeing. Initially, it is planned to deploy the system in the air force (air launch) and then transition to sea operation (vertical launch).
While the Department of Defense's primary hypersonic development goal is air launch weapons, DARPA in 2017, as part of the Operational Fires project, began a new program to develop and demonstrate a hypersonic ground launch system that incorporates technology from the TBG program.
In a budget request for 2019, the Pentagon has requested $ 50 million to develop and demonstrate a ground launch system that allows a hypersonic gliding winged unit to overcome enemy air defenses and quickly and accurately hit priority targets. The goal of the project is: development of an advanced carrier capable of delivering various warheads at different distances; development of compatible ground launch platforms that allow integration into existing ground infrastructure; and achieving the specific characteristics required for rapid deployment and redeployment of the system.
In its 2019 budget request, DARPA requested $ 179.5 million for TBG funding. The goal of TBG (like HAWC) is to achieve a block speed of Mach 5 or more when planning to the target on the final leg of the trajectory. The heat resistance of such a unit must be very high, it must be highly maneuverable, fly at altitudes of almost 61 km and carry a warhead weighing about 115 kg (approximately the size of a small diameter bomb, Small Diameter Bomb). A warhead and guidance system are also being developed under the TBG and HAWC programs.
Earlier, the US Air Force and DARPA launched a joint program FALCON (Force Application and Launch from CONtinental United States) as part of the CPGS (Conventional Prompt Global Strike) project. Its goal is to develop a system consisting of a launch vehicle similar to a ballistic missile and a hypersonic atmospheric reentry vehicle known as a common aero vehicle (CAV) that could deliver a warhead anywhere in the world within one to two hours. The highly maneuverable CAV gliding unit with a deltoid wing-fuselage, which does not have a propeller, can fly in the atmosphere at hypersonic speeds.
Lockheed Martin worked with DARPA on the early concept of the HTV-2 hypersonic vehicle from 2003 to 2011. Minotaur IV light rockets, which became the delivery vehicle for HTV-2 blocks, were launched from Vandenberg AFB in California. The first flight of the HTV-2 in 2010 provided data that demonstrated progress in improved aerodynamic performance, high temperature materials, thermal protection systems, autonomous flight safety systems, and guidance, navigation and control systems for prolonged hypersonic flight. However, this program was closed and currently all efforts are focused on the AHW project.
The Pentagon hopes that these research programs will pave the way for various hypersonic weapons, and also plans to consolidate their activities on the development of hypersonic weapons as part of a roadmap being developed to further fund projects in this area.
In April 2018, the Deputy Defense Secretary announced that he was ordered to fulfill "80% of the plan", which is to conduct assessment tests until 2023, the goal of which is to achieve hypersonic capabilities over the next decade. One of the priority tasks of the Pentagon is also to achieve synergy in hypersonic projects, since very often components with similar functionality are developed in different programs. “Although the processes of launching a rocket from a sea, air or ground platform are significantly different. it is necessary to strive for maximum uniformity of its components”.
Russian successes
The Russian program for the development of a hypersonic missile is ambitious, which is largely facilitated by the comprehensive support of the state. This is confirmed by the President's annual message to the Federal Assembly, which he delivered on March 1, 2018. During his address, President Putin presented several new weapons systems, including the promising Avangard strategic missile system.
Putin has unveiled these weapons systems, including the Vanguard, as a response to the deployment of America's global missile defense system. He stated that "the United States, despite the deep concern of the Russian Federation, continues to systematically implement its missile defense plans," and that Russia's response is to increase the strike capabilities of its strategic forces to defeat the defensive systems of potential adversaries (although the current American missile defense system is barely will be able to intercept even a part of Russia's 1,550 nuclear warheads).
Vanguard, apparently, is a further development of the 4202 project, which was transformed into the Yu-71 project for the development of a hypersonic controlled warhead. According to Putin, he can maintain the speed of 20 Mach numbers on the march or glide section of his trajectory, and “when moving towards the target, he can make deep maneuvers, like lateral maneuvers (over several thousand kilometers). All this makes it absolutely invulnerable to any means of air and missile defense."
The flight of the Vanguard takes place practically in conditions of plasma formation, that is, it moves towards the target like a meteorite or a fireball (plasma is an ionized gas formed due to the heating of air particles, determined by the high speed of the block). The temperature on the surface of the block can reach "2000 degrees Celsius".
In Putin's message, the video showed the concept of the Vanguard in the form of a simplified hypersonic missile capable of maneuvering and overcoming air defense and missile defense systems. The President stated that the winged unit shown in the video is not a “real” presentation of the final system. However, according to experts, the winged unit on the video may well represent a completely realizable project of a system with the tactical and technical characteristics of the Vanguard. In addition, taking into account the well-known history of the tests of the Yu-71 project, we can say that Russia is confidently moving towards the creation of mass production of hypersonic gliding winged units.
Most likely, the structural configuration of the apparatus shown in the video is a wedge-shaped body of the wing-fuselage type, which has received the general definition of "wave-guided". Its separation from the launch vehicle and subsequent maneuvering to the target was shown. The video showed four steering surfaces, two at the top of the fuselage and two fuselage braking plates, all at the rear of the craft.
It is likely that the Vanguard is intended to be launched with the new Sarmat heavy multistage intercontinental ballistic missile. However, in his address, Putin said that "it is compatible with existing systems," which indicates that in the near future, the carrier of the Avangard winged unit will most likely be the upgraded UR-100N UTTH complex. The estimated range of action of the Sarmat 11,000 km in combination with a range of 9,900 km of the controlled warhead U-71 allows you to obtain a maximum range of over 20,000 km.
Modern development of Russia in the field of hypersonic systems began in 2001, when the UR-100N ICBMs (according to NATO classification SS-19 Stiletto) with a gliding block were tested. The first launch of the Project 4202 missile with the Yu-71 warhead was carried out on September 28, 2011. Based on the Yu-71/4202 project, Russian engineers have developed another hypersonic apparatus, including the second prototype Yu-74, which was launched for the first time in 2016 from a test site in the Orenburg region, hitting a target at the Kura test site in Kamchatka. On December 26, 2018, the last (in terms of time) successful launch of the Avangard complex was carried out, which developed a speed of about 27 Machs.
Chinese project DF-ZF
According to rather scant information from open sources, China is developing the DF-ZF hypersonic device. The DF-ZF program remained top secret until testing began in January 2014. American sources traced the fact of the tests and named the device Wu-14, since the tests were carried out at the Wuzhai test site in Shanxi province. While Beijing did not disclose the details of this project, the US and Russian militaries suggest that there have been seven successful tests to date. According to American sources, the project experienced certain difficulties until June 2015. Only starting with the fifth series of test launches can we talk about the successful completion of the assigned tasks.
According to the Chinese press, in order to increase the range, the DF-ZF apparatus combines the capabilities of non-ballistic missiles and gliding blocks. A typical DF-ZF hypersonic drone, moving after launch along a ballistic trajectory, accelerates to a suborbital speed of Mach 5, and then, entering the upper atmosphere, flies almost parallel to the Earth's surface. This makes the overall path to the target shorter than that of a conventional ballistic missile. As a result, despite the reduction in speed due to air resistance, a hypersonic vehicle can reach its target faster than a conventional ICBM warhead.
After the seventh proof test in April 2016, during the next tests in November 2017, the apparatus with the DF-17 nuclear missile on board reached a speed of 11,265 km / h.
From local press reports, it is clear that the Chinese DF-ZF hypersonic device was tested with the carrier - the DF-17 medium-range ballistic missile. This missile will soon be replaced by the DF-31 missile with the aim of increasing the range to 2000 km. In this case, the warhead can be equipped with a nuclear charge. Russian sources suggest that the DF-ZF device may enter the production stage and be adopted by the Chinese army in 2020. However, judging by the development of events, China is still about 10 years from adopting its hypersonic systems.
According to US intelligence, China may use hypersonic missile systems for strategic weapons. China may also develop hypersonic ramjet technology to deliver rapid strike capability. A rocket with such an engine, launched from the South China Sea, can fly 2000 km in near space at hypersonic speeds, which will allow China to dominate the region and be able to break through even the most advanced missile defense systems.
Indian development
The Indian Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) has been working on hypersonic ground launch systems for over 10 years. The most successful project is the Shourya (or Shaurya) rocket. Two other programs, BrahMos II (K) and Hypersonic Technology Demonstrating Vehicle (HSTDV), are experiencing some difficulties.
The development of a tactical surface-to-surface missile began in the 90s. The missile is reported to have a typical range of 700 km (although it could be increased) with a circular deviation of 20-30 meters. The Shourya missile can be launched from a launch pod that mounts on a 4x4 mobile launcher, or from a stationary platform from the ground or from a silo.
In the version of the launch container, a two-stage rocket is launched using a gas generator, which, due to the high speed of combustion of the propellant, creates a high pressure sufficient for the rocket to take off from the container at high speed. The first stage maintains flight for 60-90 seconds before the start of the second stage, after which it is fired off by a small pyrotechnic device, which also works as a pitch and yaw engine.
The gas generator and engines, developed by the High Energy Materials Laboratory and the Advanced Systems Laboratory, propel the rocket to a speed of Mach 7. All engines and stages use specially formulated solid propellants that allow the vehicle to reach hypersonic speeds. A missile weighing 6.5 tons can carry a conventional high-explosive warhead weighing almost a ton or a nuclear warhead equivalent to 17 kilotons.
The first ground tests of the Shourya missile at the Chandipur test site were carried out in 2004, and the next test launch was in November 2008. In these tests, a speed of Mach 5 and a range of 300 km were achieved.
Tests from the silo of the Shourya rocket in the final configuration were carried out in September 2011. The prototype reportedly had an improved navigation and guidance system that included a ring laser gyroscope and a DRDO accelerometer. The rocket relied mainly on a gyroscope designed specifically to improve maneuverability and accuracy. The rocket reached a speed of Mach 7, 5, flying 700 km at low altitude; at the same time, the surface temperature of the case reached 700 ° C.
The Department of Defense conducted its last test launch in August 2016 from the Chandipur test site. The rocket, reaching an altitude of 40 km, flew 700 km and again at a speed of 7.5 Mach. Under the action of the expelling charge, the rocket flew along a ballistic trajectory of 50 meters, and then switched to a marching flight on hypersonic, making the final maneuver before meeting the target.
At DefExpo 2018, it was reported that the next model of the Shourya rocket will undergo some refinement in order to increase the flight range. Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) is expected to start serial production. However, a BDL spokesman said they had not received any production instructions from DRDO, hinting that the rocket was still being finalized; information on these improvements is classified by the DRDO Organization.
India and Russia are jointly developing the BrahMos II (K) hypersonic cruise missile as part of the BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited joint venture. DRDO develops a hypersonic ramjet engine that has been successfully ground tested.
India, with the help of Russia, is creating a special jet fuel that allows the rocket to reach hypersonic speeds. No further details on the project are available, but company officials said they are still in the preliminary design phase, so it will be at least ten years before BrahMos II becomes a workable system.
Although the traditional BrahMos supersonic rocket has proven itself successfully, the Indian Institute of Technology, the Indian Institute of Science and BrahMos Aerospace is conducting a large amount of research in the field of materials science within the BrahMos II project, since materials must withstand the high pressure and high aerodynamic and thermal loads associated with hypersonic speeds.
BrahMos Aerospace CEO Sudhir Mishra said the Russian Zircon rocket and BrahMos II share a common engine and propulsion technology, while the guidance and navigation system, software, hull and control systems are being developed by India.
It is planned that the range and speed of the rocket will be 450 km and Mach 7, respectively. The missile's range was originally set at 290 km, as Russia signed the Missile Technology Control Regime, but India, which is also a signatory to this document, is currently trying to increase its missile's range. The missile is expected to be launched from an air, ground, surface or underwater platform. Organization DRDO plans to invest 250 million dollars in testing a rocket capable of developing hypersonic speeds of Mach 5, 56 above sea level.
Meanwhile, the Indian project HSTDV, in which a ramjet engine is used to demonstrate an independent long flight, is facing structural difficulties. However, the Defense Research and Development Laboratory continues to work on improving ramjet technology. Judging by the declared characteristics, with the help of a starting solid-propellant rocket engine, the HSTDV apparatus at an altitude of 30 km will be able to develop a speed of Mach 6 for 20 seconds. The basic structure with housing and motor mount was designed in 2005. Most of the aerodynamic tests were carried out by the NAL National Aerospace Laboratory.
The scaled-down HSTDV has been tested in NAL for air intake and exhaust gas outflow. In order to obtain a hypersonic model of the behavior of the vehicle in a wind tunnel, several tests were also carried out at higher supersonic speeds (due to a combination of compression and rarefaction waves).
The Defense Research and Development Laboratory carried out work related to materials research, the integration of electrical and mechanical components and the ramjet engine. The first basic model was presented to the public in 2010 at a specialized conference, and in 2011 at Aerolndia. According to the schedule, the production of a full-fledged prototype was scheduled for 2016. However, due to the lack of the necessary technologies, insufficient funding in the field of hypersonic research and the unavailability of the production site, the project was far behind schedule.
However, the aerodynamic, propulsion and ramjet engine characteristics have been carefully analyzed and calculated, and it is expected that a full-size jet engine will be able to generate 6 kN thrust, which will allow satellites to launch nuclear warheads and other ballistic / non-ballistic missiles at large range. The octagonal hull weighing one ton is equipped with cruising stabilizers and rear control rudders.
Critical technologies such as the engine combustion chamber are tested in another Terminal Ballistics Laboratory, also part of DRDO. The DRDO hopes to build hypersonic wind tunnels for testing the HSTDV system, but lack of funds is a problem.
With the emergence of modern integrated air defense systems, militarily powerful armed forces are relying on hypersonic weapons to counter access denial / blockade strategies and launch regional or global strikes. In the late 2000s, defense programs began to pay special attention to hypersonic weapons as the optimal means of delivering a global strike. In this regard, as well as the fact that geopolitical rivalry is becoming more and more fierce every year, the military is striving to maximize the amount of funds and resources allocated for these technologies.
In the case of hypersonic weapons for ground launch, in particular systems used outside the zone of operation of active air defense systems of the enemy, the optimal and low-risk launch options are standard launch complexes and mobile launchers for ground-to-ground and ground-to-air weapons, and underground mines for striking at medium or intercontinental ranges.
