U.S. Rep. Andy Harris, R-Maryland, praised the Northrop Grumman facility (formerly ATK) in northeastern Maryland for its participation in a collaborative weapons program with Raytheon.
“Congratulations to Northrop Grumman employees in Elkton, Maryland for their participation in a partnership with Raytheon to develop a hypersonic weapon for the U.S. military. This cutting edge technology is developing through a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) program. The facility in Elkton manufactures the solid rocket motor for the Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept (HAWC) project. Impressive work that supports great jobs in Elkton.”
In June, the two aerospace companies announced a teaming agreement to develop, produce and integrate Northrop Grumman’s scramjet combustors to power Raytheon’s air-breathing hypersonic weapons.
The teaming agreement uses the combined capabilities of both companies to accelerate development and demonstrate readiness to produce the next generation of tactical missile (cruise missile systems.
Scramjet engines use high vehicle speed to forcibly compress incoming air before combustion to enable sustained flight at hypersonic speeds. Such speeds reduce flight times and increase weapon survivability, effectiveness and flexibility, a release stated.
The U.S. is facing challenges in staying ahead of the curve with Russia and India also working on the technology.
“Our deep heritage in propulsion, fuzes, and warheads will help accelerate the readiness of tomorrow’s missiles to meet range, survivability, safety and lethality requirements,” said Mike Kahn, vice president, and general manager of Northrop Grumman’s Defense Systems. “Together with Raytheon, we intend to make great strides toward improving our nation’s high-speed weapon systems…”
