The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has issued a request for proposals for the second phase of the Glide Breaker program.
Launched in 2018, the program seeks to develop and demonstrate technologies that can defend against hypersonic systems.
According to an agency announcement, the program’s second phase involves executing wind tunnel and flight testing to quantify and investigate jet interaction effects on a kill vehicle.
“Phase 2 of the Glide Breaker program will develop the technical understanding of jet interactions necessary to enable design of propulsion control systems for a future operational glide-phase interceptor kill vehicle,” program manager Major Nathan Greiner said.
The first phase of the Glide Breaker program focused on developing a divert and attitude control system that enables a kill vehicle to intercept threats from hypersonic weapons.
Although the initial phase is considered a critical step, it did not address endoatmospheric effects such as controlling the kill vehicle in the presence of jet interaction.
DARPA said it will accept questions until April 29. Interested defense firms have until June 10 to submit their proposals.