Spirit AeroSystems and the National Institute on Aviation Research (NIAR) are partnering to develop hypersonic weapons. Hypersonics are weapons that travel in excess of five times the speed of sound.
The Principal Director for Hypersonics for the U.S. Department of Defense was in Wichita on Friday discussing hypersonics. In October, the National Defense Prototype Center (NDPC) opened to test high-temperature materials that can be used in hypersonic missiles.
The NDPC said the department wants to make sure the weapon systems are delivered to U.S. troops in numbers that are significant.
Senator Jerry Moran also discussed how the development will bring more defense and space work to Kansas. Adding that the partnership would not only benefit Spirit, but also the supply chain and smaller contractors in the Wichita area.
The first hypersonic systems will be delivered in 2023. The plan is to continue to deliver air, land and sea systems throughout the decade.
More information is available here.
