Hypersonic unmanned aerial vehicles. Hypersonic aircraft in the United States are in their infancy

It is too early to talk about an arms race in this area - today it is a technology race. Hypersonic projects have not yet gone beyond the scope of R&D: so far, mostly demonstrators are flying. Their levels of technological readiness on the DARPA scale are mainly in the fourth or sixth position (on a ten-point scale).

However, it is not necessary to talk about hypersound as some kind of technical novelty. Warheads of ICBMs enter the atmosphere on hypersonic, descent vehicles with astronauts, space shuttles are also hypersonic. But flying at hypersonic speeds while descending from orbit is a necessary necessity, and it does not last long. We will talk about aircraft for which hypersound is a regular mode of use, and without it they will not be able to show their superiority and show their capabilities and power.

Swift Scout
SR-72 is a promising American aircraft that can become a functional analogue of the legendary SR-71 - a supersonic and highly maneuverable reconnaissance aircraft. The main difference from its predecessor is the absence of a pilot in the cockpit and hypersonic speed.

Orbital strike

We will talk about hypersonic maneuvering guided objects - maneuvering warheads of ICBMs, hypersonic cruise missiles, hypersonic UAVs. What, in fact, do we mean by hypersonic aircraft? First of all, the following characteristics are taken into account: flight speed - 5-10 M (6150-12 300 km / h) and higher, covered operating altitude range - 25-140 km. One of the most attractive qualities of hypersonic vehicles is the impossibility of reliable tracking by means of air defense, since the object flies in a plasma cloud that is opaque to radars. It is also worth noting the high maneuverability and the minimum reaction time to defeat. For example, a hypersonic vehicle takes only an hour after leaving the orbit to hit the selected target.

Projects of hypersonic devices have been developed more than once and continue to be developed in our country. One can recall the Tu-130 (6 M), the Ajax aircraft (8-10 M), projects of high-altitude-speed hypersonic aircraft of the OKB im. Mikoyan on hydrocarbon fuel in various applications and a hypersonic aircraft (6 M) on two types of fuel - hydrogen for high flight speeds and kerosene for lower ones.

US-developed Boeing X-51A Waverider hypersonic missile

He left his mark in engineering design of the Design Bureau. Mikoyan "Spiral", in which the returning aerospace hypersonic aircraft was launched into orbit by a hypersonic booster aircraft, and after completing combat missions in orbit, returned to the atmosphere, performed maneuvers in it also at hypersonic speeds. The developments under the Spiral project were used in the projects of the BOR and the Buran space shuttle. There is officially unconfirmed information about the Aurora hypersonic aircraft created in the USA. Everyone has heard of him, but no one has ever seen him.

"Zircon" for the fleet

March 17, 2016 it became known that Russia has officially started testing hypersonic anti-ship cruise missile(PKR) "Zircon". The latest projectile will be armed with fifth-generation nuclear submarines (Husky), it will also be received by surface ships and, of course, the flagship of the Russian fleet, Peter the Great. A speed of 5–6 M and a range of at least 400 km (a missile will cover this distance in four minutes) will significantly complicate the application of countermeasures. It is known that the rocket will use the new Detsilin-M fuel, which increases the flight range by 300 km. The developer of the Zircon anti-ship missiles is NPO Mashinostroeniya, which is part of the Tactical Corporation missile armament"". The appearance of a serial rocket can be expected by 2020. At the same time, it should be taken into account that Russia has rich experience in creating high-speed anti-ship cruise missiles, such as the serial P-700 Granit anti-ship missile (2.5 M), the serial P-270 Moskit anti-ship missile (2.8 M), on which will be replaced by the new Zircon anti-ship missiles.

Winged Strike
The unmanned hypersonic gliding aircraft, developed at the Tupolev Design Bureau in the late 1950s, was supposed to be the last stage of the missile strike system.

Cunning Warhead

The first information about the launch of the Yu-71 product (as it is designated in the West) into low-Earth orbit by the RS-18 Stiletto rocket and its return to the atmosphere appeared in February 2015. The launch was made from the position area of the Dombrovsky formation by the 13th missile division of the Strategic Missile Forces (Orenburg region). It is also reported that by 2025 the division will receive 24 Yu-71 products to equip the already new Sarmat missiles. The product Yu-71 within the framework of project 4202 was also created by NPO Mashinostroeniya since 2009.

The product is a super-maneuverable missile warhead capable of gliding at a speed of 11,000 km/h. It can go into near space and from there hit targets, as well as carry a nuclear charge and be equipped with an electronic warfare system. At the time of entry "dive" into the atmosphere, the speed can be 5000 m / s (18000 km / h) and for this reason the Yu-71 has protection against overheating and overloads, and can easily change the direction of flight without being destroyed.

Element of a hypersonic airframe, which remained a project
The length of the aircraft was to be 8 m, wingspan - 2.8 m.

The Yu-71 product, having high maneuverability at hypersonic speeds in altitude and heading and flying along a non-ballistic trajectory, becomes unattainable for any air defense system. In addition, the warhead is controllable, thanks to which it has a very high hitting accuracy: this will also allow it to be used in a non-nuclear high-precision version. It is known that several launches were made during 2011-2015. It is believed that the Yu-71 product will be put into service in 2025, and it will be equipped with the Sarmat ICBM.

Climb up

Of the projects of the past, the X-90 rocket, which was developed by the Raduga Design Bureau, can be noted. The project dates back to 1971, it was closed in a difficult year for the country in 1992, although the tests showed good results. The rocket was repeatedly demonstrated at the MAKS aerospace show. A few years later, the project was revived: the rocket received a speed of 4-5 Mach and a range of 3,500 km with a launch from a Tu-160 carrier. The demonstration flight took place in 2004. It was supposed to arm the rocket with two detachable warheads located on the sides of the fuselage, but the projectile never entered service.

The RVV-BD hypersonic missile was developed by the Vympel Design Bureau named after I.I. Toropova. It continues the line of K-37, K-37M missiles, which are in service with the MiG-31 and MiG-31BM. The RVV-BD missile will also arm hypersonic interceptors of the PAK DP project. According to the statement of the head of KTRV Boris Viktorovich Obnosov, made at MAKS 2015, the rocket began to be mass-produced and its first batches will roll off the assembly line as early as 2016. The missile weighs 510 kg, has a high-explosive fragmentation warhead and will hit targets at ranges of 200 km in a wide range of altitudes. The dual-mode solid propellant rocket engine allows it to develop a hypersonic speed of 6 M.

SR-71
Today, this aircraft, long out of service, occupies a prominent place in the history of aviation. It is being replaced by hypersound.

Hypersound of the Middle Kingdom

In the fall of 2015, the Pentagon reported, and this was confirmed by Beijing, that China had successfully tested the DF-ZF Yu-14 (WU-14) hypersonic maneuvering aircraft, which was launched from the Wuzhai test site. Yu-14 separated from the carrier "at the edge of the atmosphere", and then planned for a target located several thousand kilometers in western China. The flight of the DF-ZF was monitored by US intelligence services, and according to them, the device maneuvered at a speed of 5 Mach, although its speed could potentially reach 10 Mach. protection against kinetic heating. PRC representatives also reported that the Yu-14 is capable of breaking through the US air defense system and delivering a global nuclear strike.

America Projects

Currently, various hypersonic aircraft are "in work" in the United States, which are undergoing flight tests with varying degrees of success. Work on them began in the early 2000s, and today they are at different levels of technological readiness. Boeing, the developer of the X-51A hypersonic vehicle, recently announced that the X-51A would be put into service as early as 2017.

Among the ongoing projects, the United States has: the AHW (Advanced Hypersonic Weapon) hypersonic maneuvering warhead project, the Falcon HTV-2 (Hyper-Sonic Technology Vehicle) hypersonic aircraft launched using ICBMs, the Kh-43 Hyper-X hypersonic aircraft, a prototype hypersonic cruise missile X-51A Waverider of the Boeing company, equipped with a hypersonic ramjet with supersonic combustion. It is also known that in the United States, work is underway on the SR-72 hypersonic UAV from Lockheed Martin, which only in March 2016 officially announced its work on this product.

Cosmic "spiral"
A hypersonic booster aircraft developed under the Spiral project. It was also assumed that the system would include a military orbital aircraft with a rocket booster.

The first mention of the SR-72 drone dates back to 2013, when Lockheed Martin announced that the SR-72 hypersonic UAV would be developing to replace the SR-71 reconnaissance aircraft. It will fly at a speed of 6400 km/h at operating altitudes of 50-80 km up to suborbital, will have a dual-circuit propulsion system with a common air intake and a nozzle apparatus based on a turbojet engine for acceleration from a speed of 3 M and a hypersonic ramjet engine with supersonic combustion for flying at speeds over 3 M. SR-72 will perform reconnaissance missions, as well as strike with high-precision air-to-surface weapons in the form of light missiles without an engine - they will not need it, since a good starting hypersonic speed is already available.

The problematic issues of SR-72 experts include the choice of materials and skin design that can withstand large thermal loads from kinetic heating at temperatures of 2000 ° C and above. It will also be necessary to solve the problem of separating weapons from internal compartments at a hypersonic flight speed of 5-6 Mach and to exclude cases of loss of communication, which were repeatedly observed during tests of the HTV-2 object. Lockheed Martin Corporation said that the dimension of the SR-72 will be comparable to the dimension of the SR-71 - in particular, the length of the SR-72 will be 30 m. The SR-72 is expected to enter service in 2030.

The desire to create the fastest possible military equipment- this is key goal for any state, because only high speeds are a guarantee of overcoming the means air defense. For this reason, hypersonic weapons technologies were actively mastered even in Nazi Germany. Later they migrated to the allies, who continued their outstanding developments.

However, only in recent decades has technology made it possible to take a qualitative step forward. For Russia, this is expressed in the secret project Yu-71 - a hypersonic aircraft.

The history of the creation of hypersonic weapons

Hypersonic weapons reached their maximum development during the Cold War. Like many outstanding military projects of mankind, fundamentally new technologies were created in the conditions of competition between the USA and the USSR. The first attempts to surpass the speed of sound (namely, to overcome the barrier of 1234.8 km / h) did not lead to serious achievements. But it should also be noted that the tasks set were almost impossible even for such powerful powers.

Not much is known about these projects, but some information has reached that, for example, in the USSR, the designers were faced with the task of doing:

an aircraft that could develop a speed of at least 7000 km / h;
reliable design to use the technique many times;
controlled aircraft to make it as difficult as possible to detect and eliminate it;
finally, surpass a similar development of the states - X-20 Dyna Soar.

But during the tests, it became clear that it was impossible to even take to the air with close speeds and the necessary design, and Soviet Union closed the project.

Fortunately for the leadership of the USSR, the Americans also did not achieve an advance: only a few times the hypersonic aircraft rose to suborbital altitude, but in most situations it lost control and crashed.

The development of supersonic technology in the 21st century

Hypersonic technologies are closely intertwined in two different directions: the creation of ballistic and guided missiles or the design of a full-fledged aircraft.

And if missiles exceeding the speed of sound by several times are already being successfully created and even participate in hostilities, then aircraft require truly ingenious design solutions. The main snag is that overloads at high speeds during maneuvers are measured not even in tens, but in hundreds of g. Planning such loads and ensuring the reliability of equipment is a rather difficult task.

Technology does not stand still, therefore, in the 21st century, the 4202 project was implemented in Russia, which is often referred to as the Yu-71 - a hypersonic aircraft.

It grew out of the development of hypersonic technology in rockets.

Very little is known about the development, because such work was and is being carried out not only in the USSR, and then in Russia, but also in the USA, as well as China, Britain, and France. The desire of the world's leading powers to keep complex and expensive discoveries a secret is understandable, since serious military superiority will be achieved with hypersonic technology.

It is known that the first successes were achieved in the USSR, in 1991. Then the Kholod aircraft successfully took off into the air. The device was launched on the basis anti-aircraft missile system S-200, using a 5B28 missile. The engineers managed to carry out a controlled flight and develop a speed of 1900 km / h. After that, the possibilities only expanded, but in 1998 the tests were stopped. The reason turned out to be prosaic - the crisis that broke out in the country.

Given the high secrecy of information, there are not so many reliable sources.

However, the foreign press provides such information that in 20-2010. Russia has again begun to develop hypersonic projects. The tasks were set as follows:

To create ballistic and guided missiles at a faster pace for guaranteed overcoming of any known means of interception before reaching the target.
Develop missile systems with missile speeds up to 13 times the speed of sound.
Conduct tests of an aircraft with nuclear and non-nuclear weapons delivery systems.

The main reason for the development of such weapons was based on the fact that a similar project of the Americans Prompt Global Strike was designed to be based on ships and aircraft in order to be guaranteed to hit any point on the planet in 1 hour. Naturally, Russia should have responded with the same weapons, because no country has the means of interception capable of working on targets at such a high speed.

The most famous facts about Russia's secret weapon - Yu-71

Already at the start of the work, the ideas of the 4202 project were seriously ahead of their time, since the brilliant Gleb Lozino-Lozinsky was the chief designer. But they were able to create a full-fledged aircraft much later, already in Russia.

According to foreign sources, the tests of the glider, namely the Yu-71 aircraft, did not take place at the beginning of 2015, as the Russian military leadership says. There is evidence that already in 2004 a supposedly new hypersonic glider was launched at Baikonur. This version is confirmed by the fact that in 2012, at one of the country's defense enterprises in the city of Reutov, New Year's greetings, where employees were announced that the 4202 project was the key one for the near future.

In general, the Russian Yu-71 supersonic aircraft is extremely difficult to shoot down and even track. Therefore, a lot of information is hidden from the public. According to reports, Yu-71 has the following characteristics:

The hypersonic aircraft is launched from near-Earth orbit. It is delivered there by UR-100N UTTKh missiles. At the level of opinions, it is said that in the future the latest Sarmat missile of the RS-28 ICBM will be responsible for the delivery.
The maximum recorded speed of Yu-71 is estimated at 11,200 km/h. Experts say that the device is able to maneuver on the final part of the trajectory. But even without this ability, it remains out of reach for air defense and missile defense systems due to high speed. According to the assurances of the Russian military, the Yu-71 can maneuver in altitude and course from the moment it starts in near-Earth orbit.
Yu-71 can go into space, which makes it even more invisible to most detection tools.
It is believed that from the moment of launch, the glider can fly to New York in 40 minutes, carrying nuclear warheads on board.
Hypersonic modules are distinguished by a very large mass, so the military leadership is considering the possibility of delivering several Yu-71s to low-Earth orbit at once with more powerful missiles than are currently used.
The glider has 3 compartments with various equipment and weapons.
There is an opinion that Russia is starting active production of the Yu-71 project. So, presumably, the Strela software near Orenburg is being completely technically rebuilt to assemble hypersonic weapons.

The only information that is called accurate is the speed developed by the aircraft and the ability to maneuver in flight.

The rest of the information is kept secret. But it is already clear that Russia is ready to respond adequately in the hypersonic race.

Yu-71 competitors

Hypersonic technologies are the subject of work of the leading world powers. Some have achieved serious achievements, for some the costs turned out to be large or it was not possible to pull out extremely technological projects. Russia's main competitors today are the United States and China.

Competitors	Description
1.Glider Advanced Hypersonic Weapon (USA).	The AHW aircraft became part of the Prompt Global Strike program. The technical aspects are hidden under seven seals. It is only known that the glider develops up to Mach 8 of speed (10,000 km / h). His first tests were recognized as successful, and during the second, the launch vehicle exploded. So we can confidently say that work overseas has not yet been completed.
2. Glider WU-14 (PRC).	Great aspirations of the PRC are aimed at creating hypersonic ballistic and cruise missiles. But the WU-14 glider is also being developed. It is known that it develops up to Mach 10 (a little more than 12,000 km / h). Some sources also provide information that the Chinese are working on their own ramjet hypersonic engine specifically for the direct launch of the glider from aircraft.

Humanity in the 21st century has come close to hypersonic weapons.

If information leaks are to be believed, then Russia may be the first to announce the final stage, namely the adoption of such technologies. This will bring a tangible advantage in military terms.

Prospects for the Russian Yu-71

According to some reports, the Yu-71 has been tested and is being prepared for serial production. Although the project is secret, a number of sources indicate that by 2025 Russia will have 40 such gliders with nuclear warheads.

Even though Yu-71 launches are expensive, the device can be used for various purposes. The ability to deliver a warhead to any point on the planet in the shortest possible time is also called, and, for example, the transportation of food and supplies.

Due to its maneuverability, the Yu-71 can be used as an attack aircraft or bomber deep behind enemy lines.

The Yu-71 will most likely be located near Orenburg, in the rear, since the most vulnerable part of the flight is the launch and reaching the orbit. After the separation of the glider from the missile, it becomes impossible to track its movement and, moreover, shoot it down, for modern missile defense or air defense systems.

Video

An ordinary passenger plane flies at a speed of about 900 km/h. A jet fighter jet can reach about three times the speed. However, modern engineers from the Russian Federation and other countries of the world are actively developing even faster machines - hypersonic aircraft. What are the specifics of the respective concepts?

Criteria for a hypersonic aircraft

What is a hypersonic aircraft? By such it is customary to understand an apparatus capable of flying at a speed many times higher than that for sound. Researchers' approaches to determining its specific indicator vary. There is a widespread methodology according to which an aircraft should be considered hypersonic if it is a multiple of the speed indicators of the fastest modern supersonic vehicles. Which are about 3-4 thousand km / h. That is, a hypersonic aircraft, if you follow this methodology, should reach speeds of 6 thousand km / h.

Unmanned and controlled vehicles

The approaches of researchers may also differ in terms of determining the criteria for classifying a particular apparatus as an aircraft. There is a version that only those machines that are controlled by a person can be considered as such. There is a point of view according to which an unmanned vehicle can also be considered an aircraft. Therefore, some analysts classify machines of the type in question into those that are subject to human control and those that function autonomously. Such a division can be justified, since unmanned vehicles can have much more impressive technical specifications, for example, in terms of overloads and speed.

At the same time, many researchers consider hypersonic aircraft as a single concept, for which key indicator- speed. It does not matter whether a person is sitting at the helm of the apparatus or the machine is controlled by a robot - the main thing is that the aircraft is fast enough.

Takeoff - independent or with outside help?

The classification of hypersonic aircraft is widespread, which is based on classifying them as those that are capable of taking off independently, or those that involve placement on a more powerful carrier - a rocket or a cargo plane. There is a point of view according to which it is legitimate to refer to the devices of the type under consideration mainly those that are capable of taking off independently or with minimal involvement of other types of equipment. However, those researchers who believe that the main criterion characterizing a hypersonic aircraft, speed, should be paramount in any classification. Whether it is classifying the device as unmanned, controlled, capable of taking off independently or with the help of other machines - if the corresponding indicator reaches the above values, then it means that we are talking about a hypersonic aircraft.

The main problems of hypersonic solutions

The concepts of hypersonic solutions are many decades old. Throughout the years of development of the corresponding type of vehicles, world engineers have been solving a number of significant problems that objectively prevent the production of "hypersound" from being put on stream - similar to organizing the production of turboprop aircraft.

The main difficulty in the design of hypersonic aircraft is the creation of an engine that can be sufficiently energy efficient. Another problem is the alignment of the necessary apparatus. The fact is that the speed of a hypersonic aircraft in the values that we considered above implies a strong heating of the hull due to friction against the atmosphere.

Today we will consider several samples of successful prototypes of aircraft of the corresponding type, the developers of which were able to make significant progress in terms of successfully solving the problems noted. Let us now study the most famous world developments in terms of creating hypersonic aircraft of the type in question.

from Boeing

The fastest hypersonic aircraft in the world, according to some experts, is the American Boeing X-43A. So, during testing of this device, it was recorded that it reached a speed exceeding 11 thousand km / h. That is about 9.6 times faster

What is special about the X-43A hypersonic aircraft? The characteristics of this aircraft are as follows:

The maximum speed recorded in the tests is 11,230 km / h;

Wingspan - 1.5 m;

Hull length - 3.6 m;

Engine - direct-flow, Supersonic Combustion Ramjet;

Fuel - atmospheric oxygen, hydrogen.

It can be noted that the device in question is one of the most environmentally friendly. The fact is that the fuel used practically does not involve the release of harmful combustion products.

The X-43A hypersonic aircraft was developed by the joint efforts of NASA engineers, as well as Orbical Science Corporation and Minocraft. created for about 10 years. About 250 million dollars were invested in its development. The conceptual novelty of the aircraft in question is that it was conceived for the purpose of testing latest technology ensuring the operation of traction.

Developed by Orbital Science

Orbital Science, which, as we noted above, took part in the creation of the X-43A, also managed to create its own hypersonic aircraft, the X-34.

Its top speed is over 12,000 km/h. True, in the course of practical tests it was not achieved - moreover, it was not possible to achieve the indicator shown by the X43-A aircraft. The aircraft in question is accelerated by the use of the Pegasus rocket, which operates on solid fuel. The X-34 was first tested in 2001. The aircraft in question is significantly larger than the device from Boeing - its length is 17.78 m, the wingspan is 8.85 m. The maximum flight altitude of the hypersonic vehicle from Orbical Science is 75 kilometers.

Aircraft from North American

Another well-known hypersonic aircraft is the X-15, produced by North American. Analysts refer to this apparatus as experimental.

It is equipped, which gives some experts reason not to classify it, in fact, as an aircraft. However, the presence rocket engines allows the device, in particular, to perform So, during one of the tests in this mode, it was tested by pilots. The purpose of the X-15 apparatus is to study the specifics of hypersonic flights, evaluate certain design solutions, new materials, and control features of such machines in various layers of the atmosphere. It is noteworthy that it was approved back in 1954. X-15 flies at a speed of more than 7 thousand km / h. Its flight range is more than 500 km, its altitude exceeds 100 km.

The fastest production aircraft

The hypersonic vehicles we studied above actually belong to the research category. It will be useful to consider some serial samples of aircraft that are close in characteristics to hypersonic or are (according to one methodology or another) hypersonic.

Among these machines is the American development of the SR-71. Some researchers are not inclined to classify this aircraft as hypersonic, since its maximum speed is about 3.7 thousand km / h. Among its most notable characteristics is its takeoff weight, which exceeds 77 tons. The length of the device is more than 23 m, the wingspan is more than 13 m.

One of the fastest military aircraft is the Russian MiG-25. The device can reach speeds of more than 3.3 thousand km / h. The maximum takeoff weight of the Russian aircraft is 41 tons.

Thus, in the market of serial solutions, close in characteristics to hypersonic ones, the Russian Federation is among the leaders. But what can be said about Russian developments in terms of "classic" hypersonic aircraft? Are engineers from the Russian Federation capable of creating a solution that is competitive with machines from Boeing and Orbital Scence?

Russian hypersonic vehicles

AT this moment Russian hypersonic aircraft is under development. But she is quite active. We are talking about the Yu-71 aircraft. Its first tests, according to media reports, were carried out in February 2015 near Orenburg.

It is assumed that the aircraft will be used for military purposes. Thus, a hypersonic vehicle will be able, if necessary, to deliver striking weapons over considerable distances, monitor the territory, and also be used as an element of attack aviation. Some researchers believe that in 2020-2025. the Strategic Missile Forces will receive about 20 aircraft of the corresponding type.

There is information in the media that the Russian hypersonic aircraft in question will be placed on the Sarmat ballistic missile, which is also at the design stage. Some analysts believe that the Yu-71 hypersonic vehicle being developed is nothing more than a warhead that will have to separate from a ballistic missile in the final flight segment, so that, thanks to the high maneuverability characteristic of an aircraft, it will overcome missile defense systems.

Project Ajax

Among the most notable projects related to the development of hypersonic aircraft is Ajax. Let's study it in more detail. The Ajax hypersonic aircraft is a conceptual development of Soviet engineers. In the scientific community, talk about it began back in the 80s. Among the most notable features is the presence of a thermal protection system, which is designed to protect the case from overheating. Thus, the developers of the Ajax apparatus proposed a solution to one of the "hypersonic" problems we have identified above.

The traditional scheme of thermal protection of aircraft involves the placement of special materials on the body. The Ajax developers proposed a different concept, according to which it was supposed not to protect the device from external heating, but to let heat into the car, while increasing its energy resource. The main competitor of the Soviet apparatus was the Aurora hypersonic aircraft, created in the United States. However, due to the fact that designers from the USSR significantly expanded the capabilities of the concept, new development was entrusted with the widest range of tasks, in particular, research. We can say that Ajax is a hypersonic multi-purpose aircraft.

Let us consider in more detail the technological innovations proposed by engineers from the USSR.

So, the Soviet developers of Ajax proposed to use the heat that arises as a result of the friction of the aircraft body against the atmosphere, to convert it into useful energy. Technically, this could be implemented by placing additional shells on the apparatus. As a result, something like a second building was formed. Its cavity was supposed to be filled with some kind of catalyst, for example, a mixture of combustible material and water. The heat-insulating layer made of a solid material in Ajax was supposed to be replaced by a liquid one, which, on the one hand, was supposed to protect the engine, on the other hand, would contribute to a catalytic reaction, which, meanwhile, could be accompanied by an endothermic effect - the movement of heat from the outside body parts inside. Theoretically, the cooling of the external parts of the apparatus could be anything. Excess heat, in turn, was supposed to be used in order to increase the efficiency of the aircraft engine. Wherein this technology would make it possible to generate free hydrogen due to the reaction of fuel and species.

At the moment, there is no information available to the general public about the continuation of the development of Ajax, but researchers consider it very promising to put Soviet concepts into practice.

Chinese hypersonic vehicles

China is becoming a competitor to Russia and the United States in the hypersonic solutions market. Among the most famous developments of engineers from China is the WU-14 aircraft. It is a hypersonic glider mounted on a ballistic missile.

An ICBM launches an aircraft into space, from where the vehicle dives sharply down, developing hypersonic speed. The Chinese apparatus can be mounted on various ICBMs with a range of 2,000 to 12,000 km. It was found that during the tests, the WU-14 was able to reach speeds in excess of 12 thousand km / h, thus turning into the fastest hypersonic aircraft according to some analysts.

At the same time, many researchers believe that it is not quite right to attribute the Chinese development to the class of aircraft. So, the version is widespread, according to which the device should be classified precisely as a warhead. And very effective. When flying down at a marked speed, even the most modern systems ABM will not be able to guarantee the interception of the corresponding target.

It can be noted that Russia and the United States are also developing hypersonic vehicles used for military purposes. At the same time, the Russian concept, according to which it is supposed to create machines of the corresponding type, differs significantly, as evidenced by data in some media, from the technological principles implemented by the Americans and the Chinese. So, developers from the Russian Federation are concentrating their efforts in the field of creating aircraft equipped with a ramjet engine capable of being launched from the ground. Russia is planning cooperation in this direction with India. Hypersonic devices created according to the Russian concept, according to some analysts, are characterized by lower cost and a wider scope.

At the same time, the Russian hypersonic aircraft, which we mentioned above (Yu-71), suggests, according to some analysts, just the same placement on ICBMs. If this thesis turns out to be true, then it will be possible to say that engineers from the Russian Federation are working simultaneously in two popular conceptual areas in the construction of hypersonic aircraft.

Summary

So, probably the fastest hypersonic aircraft in the world, if we talk about aircraft, regardless of their classification, this is still the Chinese WU-14. Although you need to understand that real information about him, including those related to tests, can be classified. This is consistent with the principles of Chinese developers, who often strive to keep their military technology secret at all costs. The speed of the fastest hypersonic aircraft is over 12,000 km/h. It is "catching up" with the American development of the X-43A - many experts consider it to be the fastest. Theoretically, the X-43A hypersonic aircraft, as well as the Chinese WU-14, can catch up with the development from Orbical Science, designed for speeds of more than 12 thousand km / h.

The characteristics of the Russian Yu-71 aircraft are not yet known to the general public. It is possible that they will be close to the parameters of the Chinese aircraft. Russian engineers are also developing a hypersonic aircraft capable of taking off not on the basis of ICBMs, but independently.

The current projects of researchers from Russia, China and the United States are somehow connected with the military sphere. Hypersonic aircraft, regardless of their possible classification, are considered primarily as carriers of weapons, most likely nuclear ones. However, in the works of researchers from around the world there are theses that "hypersound", like nuclear technology, may well be peaceful.

The point is the emergence of affordable and reliable solutions that allow organizing the mass production of machines of the appropriate type. The use of such devices is possible in the widest range of branches of economic development. The greatest demand for hypersonic aircraft is likely to be found in the space and research industries.

As the production technologies of the corresponding machines become cheaper, interest in investing in such projects may begin to show transport businesses. Industrial corporations, providers of various services may begin to consider "hypersound" as a tool to increase the competitiveness of business in terms of organizing international communications.

Hypersonic aircraft, which will reach technical maturity in the near future, may radically change the entire field of missile weapons. And Russia will have to join this race, otherwise there will be a risk of losing too much. After all, we are talking about nothing less than a scientific and technological revolution.

Swift reconnaissance aircraft: SR-72 is a promising American aircraft that can become a functional analogue of the legendary SR-71 - a supersonic and highly maneuverable reconnaissance aircraft. The main difference from its predecessor is the absence of a pilot in the cockpit and hypersonic speed.

Orbital strike

We will talk about hypersonic maneuvering guided objects - maneuvering warheads of ICBMs, hypersonic cruise missiles, hypersonic UAVs. What, in fact, do we mean by hypersonic aircraft? First of all, we have in mind the following characteristics: flight speed - 5-10 M (6150-12 300 km / h) and above, the covered operating altitude range - 25-140 km. One of the most attractive qualities of hypersonic vehicles is the impossibility of reliable tracking by means of air defense, since the object flies in a plasma cloud that is opaque to radars.

It is also worth noting the high maneuverability and the minimum reaction time to defeat. For example, a hypersonic vehicle takes only an hour after leaving the orbit to hit the selected target.

US-developed Boeing X-51A Waverider hypersonic missile

The project of the OKB im. Mikoyan "Spiral", in which the returning aerospace hypersonic aircraft was launched into orbit by a hypersonic booster aircraft, and after completing combat missions in orbit, returned to the atmosphere, performed maneuvers in it also at hypersonic speeds. The developments under the Spiral project were used in the projects of the BOR and the Buran space shuttle. There is officially unconfirmed information about the Aurora hypersonic aircraft created in the USA. Everyone has heard of him, but no one has ever seen him.

"Zircon" for the fleet

On March 17, 2016, it became known that Russia had officially begun testing a hypersonic anti-ship cruise missile (ASC). The latest projectile will be armed with fifth-generation nuclear submarines (“Husky”), surface ships and, of course, the flagship of the Russian fleet will also receive it. A speed of 5–6 M and a range of at least 400 km (a missile will cover this distance in four minutes) will significantly complicate the application of countermeasures. It is known that the rocket will use the new Detsilin-M fuel, which increases the flight range by 300 km.

The developer of the Zircon anti-ship missiles is NPO Mashinostroeniya, which is part of the Tactical Missiles Corporation. The appearance of a serial rocket can be expected by 2020. At the same time, it should be taken into account that Russia has rich experience in creating high-speed anti-ship cruise missiles, such as the serial P-700 Granit anti-ship missile (2.5 M), the serial P-270 Moskit anti-ship missile (2.8 M), on which will be replaced by the new Zircon anti-ship missiles.

Winged Strike: An unmanned hypersonic glide aircraft developed at the Tupolev Design Bureau in the late 1950s was supposed to be the last stage of a missile strike system.

Cunning Warhead

The first information about the launch of the Yu-71 product (as it is designated in the West) into low-Earth orbit by the RS-18 Stiletto rocket and its return to the atmosphere appeared in February 2015. The launch was made from the position area of the Dombrovsky formation by the 13th missile division of the Strategic Missile Forces (Orenburg region). It is also reported that by 2025 the division will receive 24 Yu-71 products to equip the new ones. The product Yu-71 within the framework of project 4202 was also created by NPO Mashinostroeniya since 2009.

An element of the airframe of a hypersonic weapon, which remained a project. The length of the aircraft was to be 8 m, wingspan - 2.8 m.

Climb up

The RVV-BD hypersonic missile was developed by the Vympel Design Bureau named after I.I. Toropova. It continues the line of K-37, K-37M missiles, which are in service with and. The RVV-BD missile will also arm hypersonic interceptors of the PAK DP project. According to the statement of the head of KTRV Boris Viktorovich Obnosov, made at MAKS 2015, the rocket began to be mass-produced and its first batches will roll off the assembly line as early as 2016. The missile weighs 510 kg, has a high-explosive fragmentation warhead and will hit targets at ranges of 200 km in a wide range of altitudes. The dual-mode solid propellant rocket engine allows it to develop a hypersonic speed of 6 M.

SR-71: Today, this aircraft, long out of service, occupies a prominent place in the history of aviation. It is being replaced by hypersound.

Hypersound of the Middle Kingdom

In the fall of 2015, the Pentagon reported, and this was confirmed by Beijing, that China had successfully tested the DF-ZF Yu-14 (WU-14) hypersonic maneuvering aircraft, which was launched from the Wuzhai test site. Yu-14 separated from the carrier "at the edge of the atmosphere", and then planned for a target located several thousand kilometers in western China. The flight of the DF-ZF was monitored by American intelligence services, and according to their data, the device maneuvered at a speed of 5 Mach, although its potential speed could reach 10 Mach.

China said it had solved the problem of hypersonic jet engines for such vehicles and created new lightweight composite materials to protect against kinetic heat. PRC representatives also reported that the Yu-14 is capable of breaking through the US air defense system and delivering a global nuclear strike.

America Projects

Space "spiral": a hypersonic booster aircraft developed under the Spiral project. It was also assumed that the system would include a military orbital aircraft with a rocket booster.

IMPACT FROM ORBIT

We will talk about hypersonic maneuvering guided objects - maneuvering warheads of ICBMs, hypersonic cruise missiles, hypersonic UAVs. What, in fact, do we mean by hypersonic aircraft? First of all, we have in mind the following characteristics: flight speed - 5-10 M and above, covered operating altitude range - 25-140 km. One of the most attractive qualities of hypersonic vehicles is the impossibility of reliable tracking by air defense systems, since the object flies in a plasma cloud that is opaque to radars. It is also worth noting the high maneuverability and the minimum reaction time to defeat. For example, a hypersonic vehicle takes only an hour after leaving the orbit to hit the selected target.

Projects of hypersonic devices have been developed more than once and continue to be developed in our country. One can recall the Tu-130, the Ajax aircraft on two types of fuel - hydrogen for high flight speeds and kerosene for smaller ones.

"ZIRCON" FOR THE FLEET

On March 17, 2016, it became known that Russia officially began testing the Zircon hypersonic anti-ship cruise missile (ASC). The latest projectile will be armed with fifth-generation nuclear submarines (Husky), it will also be received by surface ships and, of course, the flagship of the Russian fleet, Peter the Great. A speed of 5-6 M and a range of at least 400 km (a missile will cover this distance in four minutes) will significantly complicate the application of countermeasures. It is known that the rocket will use the new Detsilin-M fuel, which increases the flight range by 300 km. The developer of the Zircon anti-ship missiles is NPO Mashinostroeniya, which is part of the Tactical Missiles Corporation. The appearance of a serial rocket can be expected by 2020. At the same time, it should be taken into account that Russia has rich experience in creating high-speed anti-ship cruise missiles, such as the serial P-700 Granit anti-ship missile (2.5 M), the serial P-270 Moskit anti-ship missile (2.8 M), on which will be replaced by the new Zircon anti-ship missiles.

INTELLIGENT WARHEAD

The first information about the launch of the Yu-71 product (as it is designated in the West] into low-Earth orbit by the RS-18 Stiletto rocket and its re-entry into the atmosphere appeared in February 2015. The launch was made from the positional area of the Dombrovsky formation by the 13th Missile Division of the Strategic Missile Forces (Orenburg region) It is also reported that the division will receive 24 Yu-71 products to equip the already new Sarmat missiles by 2025. The Yu-71 product has also been created by NPO Mashinostroeniya since 2009 as part of project 4202.

GO UP

Of the projects of the past, the X-90 rocket, which was developed by the Raduga Design Bureau, can be noted. The project dates back to 1971, it was closed in a difficult year for the country in 1992, although the tests showed good results. The rocket was repeatedly demonstrated at the MAKS aerospace show. A few years later, the project was revived: the rocket received a speed of 4-5 M and a range of 3500 km with a launch from a Tu-160 carrier. The demonstration flight took place in 2004. It was supposed to arm the rocket with two detachable warheads located on the sides of the fuselage, but the projectile never entered service.

HYPERSOUND

AMERICA PROJECTS

Among the ongoing projects, the United States has: the AHW (Advanced Hypersonic Weapon) hypersonic maneuvering warhead project, the Falcon HTV-2 (Hyper-Sonic Technology Vehicle) hypersonic aircraft launched using ICBMs, the X-43 Hyper-X hypersonic aircraft, a prototype hypersonic cruise missile The Boeing X-51A Waverider, equipped with a hypersonic ramjet with supersonic combustion.It is also known that in the United States, work is underway on the SR-72 hypersonic UAV from Lockheed Martin, which only officially announced its work on this product in March 2016.

The first mention of the SR-72 drone dates back to 2013, when Lockheed Martin announced that the 5R-72 hypersonic UAV would be developing to replace the SR-71 reconnaissance aircraft. It will fly at a speed of 6400 km / h at operating altitudes of 50-80 km up to suborbital, will have a dual-circuit propulsion system with a common air intake and a nozzle apparatus based on a turbojet engine for acceleration from a speed of 3 M and a hypersonic ramjet engine with supersonic combustion for flying at speeds over 3 M. 5R-72 will perform reconnaissance missions, as well as strike with high-precision air-to-surface weapons in the form of light missiles without an engine - they will not need it, since a good starting hypersonic speed is already available.

The problematic issues of the SR-72 include the choice of materials and the design of the skin that can withstand large thermal loads from kinetic heating at temperatures of 2000 ° C and above. It will also be necessary to solve the problem of separating weapons from internal compartments at a hypersonic flight speed of 5-6 Mach and to exclude cases of loss of communication, which were repeatedly observed during tests of the HTV-2 object. Lockheed Martin Corporation said that the dimension of the SR-72 will be comparable to the dimension of the SR-71 - in particular, the length of the SR-72 will be 30 m. The SR-72 is expected to enter service in 2030.