The US Air Force has tried to develop a hypersonic aircraft since the legendary
SR-71 Blackbird was introduced during the Cold War. However, designing an aircraft
capable of exceeding Mach 5 poses an enormous challenge. The temperatures reached at these
velocities are so extreme that they can cause an airframe to melt or disintegrate with ease.
Fortunately, the Air Force has taken advantage of new
and innovative materials that can withstand such speeds, giving rise to Project Mayhem.
Although not much information is known about the program,
the USAF intends to introduce its first hypersonic aircraft by 2028.
Leaks have also revealed that the aircraft will be capable of flying at Mach 10 speeds,
with incredible range and payload delivery capabilities that no existing aircraft can match.
Some of the renders that have been released have left analysts awestruck,
providing a glimpse into the remarkable future of hypersonic warfare.
Kratos Defense and Security Solutions
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Incorporated’s objective is to
develop and deploy transformative and cost-effective technology, platforms,
and systems for customers related to US national security, allies, and commercial enterprises.
Kratos employs commercial and venture capital-backed approaches, including proactive
research and streamlined development processes, to quickly bring breakthrough technologies to market.
The company emphasizes affordability as a technology and leverages it to the fullest
extent with satellite communications, hypersonic systems, unmanned platforms, cyber security,
cyber warfare combat systems, and next-generation turbojet and fan engines development.
On January 10, 2023, Kratos announced that its Defense & Rocket System
Services Division, in partnership with the company’s Unmanned Systems Division,
had secured a contract from its partner Leidos to support the Expendable Hypersonic
Multi-Mission ISR and Strike program, also known as the Mayhem Program.
The program's objective is to help the US Air Force Research Laboratory develop an
air-breathing hypersonic system for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance purposes.
As such, Kratos will serve as a member of the System Design Agent or SDA team for Mayhem,
which oversees designs, prototypes, and tests of multi-mission hypersonic missile prototypes.
Ultimately, the SDA will engage industry planners
to bring the most relevant and effective hypersonic weapon systems to the program.
Hypersonic Systems
Hypersonic systems employ scramjet engines to generate thrust and propel the vehicle
across vast distances at speeds beyond Mach 5.
Kratos and the SDA will be developing a large-class version of a hypersonic
system that surpasses actual air-breathing systems in terms of payload and range,
covering everything from airframes, avionics, and vehicle subsystems to propulsion systems.
Dave Carter, President of the Defense & Rocket System Services Division or DRSS,
highlighted that as a critical part of the SDA team: (QUOTE) “Kratos will drive mission
success by leveraging our flight-proven agile digital engineering principles and extensive
experience in high-performance propulsion, hypersonic, and air vehicle design.”
Carter also mentioned that the company has successfully developed and flown
other hypersonic systems during the last decade, such as Zeus and Erinyes.
Kratos’ CEO, Eric DeMarco, also added in the press release that Kratos’ mission is to be a:
(QUOTE) “Disruptive transformation agent to the US National Security industrial base and market,
rapidly designing, developing, producing and fielding affordable systems and
technology. The Mayhem Hypersonic Systems program award with our strategic partner
Leidos is a recent representative example of our continued success.”
Mayhem Project Rises
The Mayhem Project is the US Air Force’s latest hypersonic development program,
and it aims to acquire testbeds for new jet engines and other components
essential to design hypersonic aircraft such as Lockheed’s SR-72. The project’s inception
dates back to August of 2020, when the Air Force Research Laboratory publicly solicited
proposals for an Expendable Hypersonic Multi-Mission Air-Breathing Demonstrator.
The USAF expected the Mayhem demonstrator to be larger than the ARRW or AGM-183A Air-launched
Rapid Response Weapon. And although information was scarce, the Air Force Research Laboratory
told Aviation Week that Mayhem could be described as a Multi-Mission Cruiser due
to its focus on sustained hypersonic flight capabilities independent of potential payloads.
The 2021 Fiscal Year budget proposal provided more details on this Multi-Mission cruiser,
revealing it would involve a multi-cycle engine or a
dual-mode scramjet. While other sources suggested that the engine could be a
turbine-based combined-cycle or TBCC arrangement comprising scramjets with regular jet turbines.
The concept of a missile capable of accelerating at supersonic and
hypersonic speeds without needing a separate rocket booster opened new possibilities the
Air Force was willing to explore, as the ability to throttle between low
and high speeds could give way to new military approaches and strategies for combat aircraft.
Hypersonic Strike-Recon
In early December of 2022, the Air Force Research Laboratory or AFRL announced it had awarded a
contract to Leidos to develop a hypersonic air vehicle as part of the Mayhem Project.
The 334-million agreement called for Leidos to design and develop a hypersonic platform with
increased range and payload capacity over every system currently used by the American military.
The experimental design is intended to conduct strike, intelligence, surveillance,
and reconnaissance missions. The Pentagon’s daily
contracting notice mentioned a single award, indefinite-delivery and indefinite-quantity
deal. It also noted that: (QUOTE) “This program is focused on delivering a larger class air-breathing
hypersonic system capable of executing multiple missions with a standardized payload interface,
providing a significant technological advancement and future capability."
The work will be carried out at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio and other bases,
with an expected completion date of October 2028.
Leidos then released a separate press release specifying that Mayhem would employ scramjet
engines to generate thrust, propelling the vehicle across long distances at speeds greater than Mach
5. Some renders were also published showing what appeared to be an unscrewed hypersonic
air vehicle with a single engine feeding from a large air intake under the fuselage. The prototype
vehicle design had a long, slender fuselage, a delta wing configuration, and a vertical tail.
The AFRL noted that this design is expected to carry payloads five
times the mass and double the range of current technology capability systems.
Futuristic Aircraft
Leidos President Steve Cook stated the company would leverage its years of investment, knowledge,
and success in the hypersonic field to deliver the next generation of air-breathing hypersonic
systems. He also expressed his team's readiness to undertake this vital mission for the nation.
American analysts have pointed out that the USAF’s description of the Mayhem prototype
and its intended use is similar to that of Lockheed Martin’s proposed SR-72 aircraft.
The successor of the legendary Blackbird is still under development,
but some renders published by Skunk Works look very similar.
Regardless, it is clear that the world powers are
ready to focus their resources on hypersonic missiles and aircraft.
In 2018, President Putin announced the Kh-47M2 Kinzhal hypersonic missile system with a video
that showed the missile detonating over Florida. China has also done the same
with its Dongfeng-17 missile. Russia's and China's missiles are expensive one-shots,
coming up at around 100 million per missile and flying at speeds of over Mach 5.
Even so, the USAF plans to outsmart both nations with its Mayhem hypersonic aircraft, which is
expected to travel at Mach 10 and have the ability to be refueled and used again. If successful,
the $334 million investment could shift the tide of hypersonic warfare against these world powers.
The US Air Force has been pursuing the development of a hypersonic
aircraft since the early days of the SR-71 Blackbird during the Cold War.
It seems that under Kratos and Leidos, it might finally become a reality…
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