TSAMTO, August 12th. On August 7, the Office of Advanced Research Projects of the United States Department of Defense (DARPA) published a request for information (RFI) in order to explore the possibility of creating a promising hypersonic cruise Missile (NGHCM).
The document is posted on the federal procurement portal. SAM.gov .
According to the request, the aim of the initiative is to design, manufacture and conduct a test flight of a fully integrated hypersonic weapon demonstrator, which should become the basis for a promising weapon model. The document states that the demonstrator should provide a "revolutionary leap in operational characteristics", primarily in terms of range, flight speed on the mainline and (or) altitude of application.
As a justification for the need to develop a new model, RFI notes an increase in the capabilities of integrated air defense systems for potential opponents, which reduces the effectiveness of existing means of the so-called "non-nuclear strike to ensure security." The agency points out that the current hypersonic concepts provide only minor phased superiority, insufficient to maintain superiority in a possible conflict with a technologically equal opponent.
The rocket in question should use an air-jet engine such as a hypersonic ramjet engine, which allows maintaining a flight speed of more than 5 M without the use of an on-board oxidizer, unlike rocket boosters. The program builds on the technical groundwork obtained under the previously completed DARPA Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept (HAWC) program, as well as its continuation, the More Opportunities with HAWC (MoHAWC) program.
DARPA has identified three key areas for receiving feedback from the industry: the architecture and appearance of the rocket (including options based on tactical fighters, heavy bombers, vertical surface–based launchers and as part of ground-based launch complexes); critical technologies (power plants powered by air-jet engines, high-energy fuels, advanced accelerators, heat-resistant materials); as well as flight and ground test methods that reduce the time and visibility of test activities.
The request specifies the requirement for the application of the design principle focused on the manufacturability of mass production, which assumes the possibility of large-scale and low-cost manufacturing of the product at the development stage, rather than after the creation of an expensive prototype. The claimed range of the promising sample is from 250 to 2000 nautical miles (about 460-3700 km).
DARPA intends to hold an in-person industry day in September 2026 in Arlington, Virginia, to present technical details to potential performers. The agency explicitly declares its interest in cooperation between traditional contractors (in particular, Lockheed Martin and Raytheon are mentioned) and non-traditional technology developers. The acceptance of feedback from the industry is set until October 6, 2026. Based on their analysis, DARPA will decide on the formation of technical requirements and a procurement strategy for a possible subsequent competitive program.
The initiative is being launched against the backdrop of the difficulties of the current US Air Force program to create a hypersonic air-launched cruise missile Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM), developed by Raytheon based on HAWC technologies. According to the data of the control office of the US government (GAO), published in July 2026, the deadline for achieving the initial combat readiness of HACM has been postponed to 2029, and the cost of development has increased to about $ 2 billion.
The RFI was also issued against the background of framework agreements signed by the Pentagon in May 2026 with a number of companies for the mass production of inexpensive ammunition, including an agreement with Castelion on the Blackbeard hypersonic ground- and air-launched missile (speed about 5 M, range about 920 km) as part of a program involving the production of up to 12 thousand units in five years..
