Mon, Nov 21, 2011
Boost-Glide Vehicle Flew Non-Ballistic Trajectory To
Target
The U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces
Strategic Command conducted the first test flight of the Advanced
Hypersonic Weapon (AHW) concept Thursday. At 0630 EST (0130
Hawaii-Aleutian Time), a first-of-its-kind glide vehicle, designed
to fly within the earth’s atmosphere at hypersonic speed and
long range, was launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility,
Kauai, Hawaii to the Reagan Test Site, U.S. Army Kwajalein
Atoll.
AHW U.S. Army Image
The objective of the test is to collect data on hypersonic
boost-glide technologies and test range performance for long-range
atmospheric flight. Mission emphasis is aerodynamics; navigation,
guidance, and control; and thermal protection technologies.
A three-stage booster system launched the AHW glide vehicle and
successfully deployed it on the desired flight trajectory.
The vehicle flew a non-ballistic glide trajectory at hypersonic
speed to the planned impact location at the Reagan Test Site.
Space, air, sea, and ground platforms collected vehicle performance
data during all phases of flight. The data collected will be
used by the Department of Defense to model and develop future
hypersonic boost-glide capabilities.
The AHW program is managed and executed by the U.S. Army Space
and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command program
office in Huntsville, Ala. The booster system and glide
vehicle were developed by Sandia National Laboratories,
Albuquerque, N.M. and the thermal protection system by the U.S.
Army Aviation and Missile Research Development and Engineering
Center, Huntsville, Ala.
The Department of Defense is using AHW to develop and
demonstrate technologies for Conventional Prompt Global Strike
(CPGS). As part of the CPGS effort, the Defense Advanced
Research Projects Agency conducted boost-glide flight tests in
April 2010 and August 2011, results from which were used in
planning the AHW flight test.
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