Air Force to host hypersonics pitch day next month

By Sara Sirota / October 25, 2019 at 12:22 PM

The Air Force is holding a pitch day for small businesses to present technologies that can support the transition of the service's two major hypersonics prototype efforts into production.

The two prototypes -- the Hypersonic Conventional Strike Weapon and the Air Launched Rapid Response Weapon -- are made by Lockheed Martin and are expected to reach early operational capability by fiscal year 2022.

"A selection of winning companies from the AFWERX 19.2 Open Innovation Small Business Innovation Research call have been invited to pitch based on how their technology contributes to cracking one of the many challenges associated with hypersonic flight," an Air Force press release states.

These challenges may include "mitigating extreme high temperatures, creating unique aerodynamic configurations, and fashioning propulsion systems able to power a weapon at Mach 5 or higher," according to the notice.

The Air Force Research Lab and the Armament Directorate at Eglin Air Force Base, FL, are hosting the event at the Doolittle Institute in Niceville, FL, on Nov. 7. Participating companies are eligible to receive same-day contracts that are worth no more than $750,000.

205291