The Defense Department last week took a major step toward fostering an industrial base needed to produce hypersonic strike weapons, capping a five-way, private-sector contest to develop one of the most sensitive technologies required to develop a long-range hypersonic glide vehicle: thermal protection systems. On Nov. 19, the Army Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office awarded Dynetics, of Huntsville, AL, a $478 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract “for the development of Hypersonic Thermal Protection System prototypes, support materials research, and novel inspection...
