Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept (HAWC): A joint research and development program between DARPADARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency): A central research and development agency within the United States Department of Defense (DoD) task... More and the U.S. Air Force designed to demonstrate the critical technologies required for an effective, air-launched hypersonic cruise missile. Unlike “boost-glide” systems that glide to their targets, the HAWC is a powered flight vehicle that utilizes a scramjet (supersonic combustion ramjet) to sustain speeds exceeding Mach 5. The program focused on three primary “pillars”: air vehicle feasibility, aerodynamic effectiveness at high temperatures, and manufacturing affordability.
