SCIFiRE

SCIFIRE, or the Southern Cross Integrated Flight Research Experiment, is an American-Australian military technology partnership that is developing a solid-rocket-boosted, air-breathing, hypersonic conventionally-armed cruise missile that can be launched by existing fighter or bomber aircraft. The missile, known as Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM), will be built by Raytheon and powered by a Northrop Grumman scramjet.

History

The project is led by the United States Department of Defense and the Australian Department of Defence. The United States Air Force, United States Navy, the Royal Australian Air Force Headquarters, and the Australian Defence Science and Technology Group are working with contractors Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Raytheon Technologies.

The project is an "outgrowth" of the 2007-initiated HIFiRE project, which involved the same partners and explored scramjet engine technology and tested the flight dynamics of a Mach-8 hypersonic glide vehicle. SCIFiRE officially commenced in November 2020. The missile will be capable of Mach 5 speed and will be suitable for launching from an F/A-18F Super Hornet, EA-18G Growler, F-35A Lightning II, or a P-8A Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft. Flight testing was expected to occur at the RAAF Woomera Range Complex in South Australia.

As of 2021, the missile was expected to enter service within 5 to 10 years. The Australian Government considers the missile to be a potential deterrent to would-be aggressors in the Pacific region.

The tactical-range Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM) will be built by Raytheon Technologies and will use a Northrop Grumman scramjet.

In March 2026, joint USAF-RAAF testing of HACM was revealed to have been conducted at RAAF Woomera Range Complex under the auspices of the SCIFiRE agreement.

References

  1. 1 2 "Boeing, Lockheed Win SCIFiRE Hypersonic Weapons Preliminary Design Contracts". www.defensemirror.com. 2 September 2021. Retrieved 5 September 2026.
  2. ↑ Kahwaji, Riad (3 September 2021). "Joint US-Australian Hypersonic Cruise Missile Moves Ahead". Breaking Defense. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  3. ↑ "Update: USAF advances SCIFiRE development". Janes.com. Retrieved 5 September 2026.
  4. ↑ Defence, Department of (30 November 2020). "Australia collaborates with the US to develop and test high speed long-range hypersonic weapons". www.minister.defence.gov.au. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  5. ↑ "Raytheon/Northrop Grumman team selected for HACM hypersonic weapon". www.janes.com.
  6. ↑ "US is secretly testing new hypersonic missile on Aussie soil". The Nightly. 23 March 2026. Retrieved 5 September 2026.