The US Air Force Research Laboratory conducted ground tests of the warhead of a promising hypersonic missile and an electronic precision detonation system. According to Flightglobal, the tests took place at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico and were considered successful. The tests were carried out using a trolley with rocket boosters mounted on rails.
Hypersonic missile warheads are being developed in a conventional, non-nuclear version. This means that their guidance systems are subject to increased requirements, since the radius of destruction of such warheads is much smaller than the radius of destruction of nuclear warheads. In addition, non-nuclear warheads must have a precise detonation system, thanks to which the explosion will be carried out at the right height to achieve the maximum radius of destruction.
During the tests held in November 2020. specialists of the US Air Force Research Laboratory tested an electronic precision detonation system that detonated a live charge at a given speed and at a given distance from the target. All stages of the tests were considered successful. other details about the inspections were not disclosed.
Meanwhile, the US Air Force Research Laboratory said that in addition to the usual combat parts of hypersonic missiles, kinetic such elements are also being developed, completely devoid of explosives. It is assumed that the damaging effect of such combat units will be achieved due to a kinetic explosion — the release of energy when the head part collides with the target at a hypersonic speed exceeding Mach 5.
earlier it became known that the research laboratory of the us air force tested a promising hypersonic ramjet engine developed by the american company aerojet rocketdyne. During the tests, the power plant with a length of 5.5 meters was able to develop a thrust of 57.9 kilonewtons. The tests were carried out at air flow velocities with different Mach numbers. The checks were considered completely successful.
Vasily Sychev
