Air Force interested in advanced booster for hypersonic weapons

The Air Force is surveying industry about its ability to create an "advanced booster" that can bring greater payload capacity to its weapon systems across different ranges and at hypersonic speeds, according to a sources-sought notice the service issued Friday.

“Effort objectives include the development of the booster, the interface between the main vehicle and the booster, integration equipment, test equipment and any support equipment needed before, during and after the flight test,” the filing, from the Air Force Materiel Command and Air Force Research Laboratory, noted. “The booster will be matured to a test capacity, then integrated into a flight vehicle for an experimental flight test.”

This solicitation does include development and procurement of the booster but is not yet a request for proposals.

The service is only interested in a solid-rocket motor for this capability, according to a Sept. 30 update to the filing. The systems should be less than 275 inches with a diameter no larger than 33 inches.

Vendors must also describe to the Air Force whether they have experience integrating the device with payloads from other businesses, if they are capable of supporting flight test operations and working with ground support equipment and how soon the capability can be delivered.

“Thrust Vector control must be included as a control methodology,” the service wrote in the request. “Other capability measurements of interest are, but not limited to, flight path angle, total impulse, speed, range, payload characteristics.

The Air Force in its fiscal year 2025 budget proposal all but killed its $1.2 billion AGM-183A Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon, with zero procurement or research and development dollars being requested for the weapon. However, service officials previously told reporters it could decide to make purchases in future fiscal years.

The all-up-round prototype failed several key tests during development. In March, ARRW completed its final planned passage over the Pacific, but the Air Force hasn’t said whether that test was successful or not.

Now, the service appears poised to focus on its smaller-sized Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile -- slated to cost $1.9 billion to prototype. Test dates for the RTX-made HACM munition have not yet been revealed.

Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall last year said HACM has a “definite role” within the service and is more compatible with existing fighter aircraft than ARRW, which is larger in scale and can only be carried by bombers.

Vendors should submit a 1-page statement that describes their ability to produce the booster capability by Oct. 4.