16 mars 2020 | International, Aérospatial
By: Mike Yeo
MELBOURNE, Australia — Japan has outlined its research and development road map for its homegrown, standoff hypersonic weapons, confirming that it is seeking an incremental growth in capability and providing more details about the kinds of threats it is targeting with this new class of weapon.
In a Japanese-language document published on the Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency website, the government said two classes of standoff hypersonic systems will be deployed — the Hypersonic Cruise Missile (HCM) and the Hyper Velocity Gliding Projectile (HVGP).
The former will be powered by a scramjet engine and appears similar to a typical missile, albeit one that cruises at a much higher speed while capable of traveling at long ranges.
The HVGP, on the other hand, will feature a solid-fuel rocket engine that will boost its warhead payload to a high altitude before separation, where it will then glide to its target using its altitude to maintain high velocity until impact.
The agency also provided more details regarding warhead payloads, with different warheads planned for both seaborne and land targets. The former will be an armor-piercing warhead designed specifically for penetrating “the deck of the [aircraft] carrier,” while a land-attack version will utilize a high-density, explosively formed projectile, or EFP, for area suppression.
Area suppression effects for the latter will be achieved via the use of multiple EFPs, which are more commonly known as a shaped charge. An EFP is made up of a concave metal hemispherical or cone-shaped liner backed by a high explosive, all in a steel or aluminum casing. When the high explosive is detonated, the metal liner is compressed and squeezed forward, forming a jet whose tip may travel as fast as 6 miles per second.
Japan's road map also revealed the country is taking an incremental approach with regard to designing the shapes of warheads and developing solid-fuel engine technology, with plans to field early versions of both in the 2024 to 2028 time frame. They are expected to enter service in the early 2030s.
The agency expects both systems to navigate via satellite navigation with an inertial navigation system as backup. Japan is seeking to establish a network of seven satellites to enable continuous positioning for its self-defense forces, which will enable it to provide continuous navigation data without relying on foreign satellites.
Warhead guidance is achieved via either radio-frequency imaging converted from doppler shift data — which the government agency said will be able to identify stealthy naval targets in all weather conditions — or an infrared seeker capable to discriminating specific targets.
Japan has been conducting R&D into various areas related to hypersonic weapons for a number of years, although most of it was to benefit other fields like satellite navigation and solid-fuel rockets.
More work remains, however, in areas like hypersonic guidance systems, warhead and missile-body thermal shielding, and hypersonic propulsion systems in order for Japan to be able to field a viable standoff hypersonic weapons capability.
15 juin 2023 | International, Aérospatial
Some lawmakers are worried the Air Force plans to retire more than twice the number of fighters than it will buy over the next five years.
16 juillet 2018 | International, Aérospatial
FARNBOROUGH, Angleterre (Reuters) - Le ministre britannique de la Défense Gavin Williamson va dévoiler au salon aéronautique de Farnborough un nouveau projet d'avion de combat, avec un financement déjà prévu de deux milliards de livres (2,3 milliards d'euros), a-t-on appris lundi de source proche du dossier. L'appareil, qui remplacera à terme l'Eurofighter Typhoon, sera conçu et produit par BAE Systems , Rolls-Royce et Leonardo, a indiqué cette source. Ce projet britannique, à moins de neuf mois de la sortie prévue du pays de l'Union européenne, apparaît comme une concurrence au projet d'avion de la France et de l'Allemagne pour succéder à l'Eurofighter Typhoon, au Rafale et au Gripen du suédois Saab dans le cadre du programme FCAS. La Grande-Bretagne discute avec d'autres pays pour trouver des partenaires pour développer l'avion, a ajouté la source. La Suède est considérée comme le partenaire le plus probable, même si des pays comme la Corée du Sud, le Japon, la Turquie ou des pays du Golfe acheteurs d'armements comme l'Arabie saoudite, sont aussi des partenaires possibles. Le nouvel avion serait opérationnel d'ici 2035, prêt à remplacer en 2040 le Typhoon, développé dans les années 1980 par l'Allemagne, l'Espagne, la Grande-Bretagne et l'Italie. Le Grande-Bretagne n'a pas développé d'avion de combat seule depuis les années 1960. Elle a toutefois contribué à développer et à construire l'avion de combat le plus avancé de la flotte britannique, qui est le F-35 américain, sur lequel BAE Systems assure environ 15% du travail sur chaque appareil. (Sarah Young; Catherine Mallebay-Vacqueur et Cyril Altmeyer pour le service français, édité par Véronique Tison) https://www.usinenouvelle.com/article/londres-prepare-son-chasseur-face-a-l-avion-franco-allemand.N720259
20 novembre 2024 | International, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité
AeroVironment (AV) has entered a definitive agreement to acquire BlueHalo in an all-stock transaction valued at approximately $4.1bn.