RTX - Raytheon Northrop complete second test of HWAC hypersonic missile

Raytheon Technologies ( NYSE: RTX ) and Northrop Grumman ( NYSE: NOC ) said Monday they successfully completed the second flight test of the scramjet-powered Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept, or HAWC, for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the U.S. Air Force.

The companies said the test met all primary and secondary objectives, including demonstrating tactical range capabilities.

During the flight test, after releasing HAWC from an aircraft and accelerating to hypersonic speeds using the scramjet engine, the companies reported the vehicle flew a trajectory that engineers designed to intentionally stress the weapon concept to explore its limits and further validate digital performance models.

"The second flight test is a big step toward scramjet technology being mission ready," Northrop Grumman's ( NOC ) Dan Olson said.

Lockheed Martin ( LMT ) also is working on hypersonic technology; the U.S. Air Force reportedly successfully tested a Lockheed hypersonic missile off the California coast last week .

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