Leidos has announced two critical milestones for the US Air Force’s “Mayhem” hypersonic missile program, marking a significant step forward in advancing the next-generation air-breathing technology.
The company said the new missile successfully completed conceptual design review and system requirements review, allowing it to proceed to the next phase of the program.
According to Leidos, the two key reviews verified the designs and technologies envisioned for high-speed systems like the Mayhem.
To ensure that it will achieve these milestones, the developer said it brought together hypersonic experts and dozens of academic and defense entities to leverage their expertise.
These include Kratos, New York-based Calspan Corporation, autonomous system startup Draper from Massachusetts, and the University of Michigan.
“[We] were able to focus on modular architectures … creating an environment that facilitates a best of breed technology,” Leidos stated.
‘A Leap Forward in Hypersonic Capabilities’
In 2022, Leidos was awarded a $334-million contract to assist the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) in developing the Mayhem air-breathing system.
The tech will use a scramjet engine to generate enough thrust to propel it long distances at speeds greater than Mach 5.
Under the contract, the company must design and develop a large-class version of Mayhem that can surpass current air-breathing systems in terms of range and payload capacity.
It must also utilize a digital engineering environment to help future development efforts.
Once developed, Mayhem will support intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and other military missions.
“Mayhem represents a leap forward in hypersonic capabilities,” program manager Tiffany Creamer said. “Despite temporary funding challenges, we remain committed to pushing the boundaries of innovation and collaboration … to deliver impactful solutions to our warfighters.”