Latest news with #SolidFuelIntegralRocketRamjet
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Navy ramps up unmanned systems weapons tests, calls for industry push
The Navy this month undertook two groundbreaking weapons systems tests, which were followed by an announcement for a planned Future Unmanned Surface Vessel Industry Day in June to 'to accelerate the development and procurement of future USVs.' The Navy's Strategic Systems Programs on May 2 conducted the first sea-based cold-gas launch approach of its Conventional Prompt Strike, or CPS, hypersonic missile. Unlike in hot launch methods, in which the projectile motor ignites in the launch silo before flying towards its target, the cold-gas technique sees the missile launch first before the first stage of ignition. This method, according to the Navy, will become the standard for launching hypersonic missiles from ships at sea. 'The cold-gas approach allows the Navy to eject the missile from the platform and achieve a safe distance above the ship prior to first stage ignition,' said Vice Adm. Johnny Wolfe, director of Strategic Systems Programs. The test of the CPS missile was followed by the first-ever launch of a Solid Fuel Integral Rocket Ramjet (SFIRR) from an unmanned aerial vehicle operated by the U.S. Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division. The unmanned vehicle launch test also tested live firing control on a BQM-34 target vehicle, demonstrating maneuverability, control and long-range accuracy. 'This successful integration validates key aspects of our design and moves us closer to delivering an advanced propulsion system that will provide warfighters with greater range and speed,' said Abbey Horning, product director of NAWCWD's Advanced Concepts, Prototyping and Experimentation office, in a release. 'We're not just revisiting an old idea; we're refining and modernizing it to fit today's mission,' With the Navy seeking to strengthen its existing fleet with the inclusion of unmanned vessels, it is scheduled to host an industry day in Washington on June 17 for the Future Unmanned Surface Vessel Program. The craft showcased will be 'an open ocean, 25+ knot, high endurance, non-exquisite, autonomous vessel,' which will also be 'built to commercial standards,' according to a special notice.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
US tests ramjet missile that could bolster war fighters' attack range, speed
The U.S. Navy successfully air-launched a Solid Fuel Integral Rocket Ramjet (SFIRR) from an unmanned vehicle for the first time, one step toward modernizing missile effort by Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (NAWCWD) appears to revive a decades-old concept to miniaturize missiles by combining an air-breathing ramjet with a solid fuel test also integrated the use of a fire control system on a BQM-34 unmanned target vehicle for live firing, demonstrating advancements in high-speed, long-range weapon capabilities. Launching the missile from an unmanned vehicle can allow warfighters to safely engage targets from greater distances, according to NAWCWD. In the past 12 months, advanced propulsion, avionics and fire control technologies were combined into the technology demonstrator. NAWCWD highlights that rapidly transitioning technologies from research to operational use is critical for maintaining a warfighting Horning, product director of NAWCWD's Advanced Concepts, Prototyping and Experimentation office, stated that the new successful integration validates key aspects of their design and moves them closer to delivering an advanced propulsion system that will provide warfighters with greater range and speed."We're not just revisiting an old idea; we're refining and modernizing it to fit today's mission," Horning said. The Solid Fuel Ramjet technology is not new. However, it's still related to modern latest test advanced a missile design aimed at improving range and targeting for future Navy simplifies missile propulsion by eliminating the complexity found in liquid fuel ramjet propulsion. This significantly reduces weight, allowing missiles to carry more payload and travel greater distances with increased maneuverability, according to a press release."SFIRR offers a balance of affordability, reliabilit,y and performance tailored to the Navy's operational needs," said Horning."We've been driving cars since the early 1900s, but that doesn't mean we stopped improving them," Ephraim Washburn, deputy director for energetics at NAWCWD."Solid fuel ramjet technology had significant investment in the 1970s and 1980s, but we're making it a modern propulsion solution for the fleet today." Washburn highlights that this is a combat-credible technology. "We are working to refine its range, endurance, and targeting capabilities." Washburn also stressed that technology evolution occurs across many industries. He compared SFIRR advancements to automotive improvements, where early designs laid a foundation, and ongoing developments continue to enhance performance. Ramjet uses external air for combustion, it is a more efficient propulsion system for flight within the atmosphere than a rocket, which must carry all of its oxygen. Ideally suited for very high-speed flight within the atmosphere, ramjet systems can increase missile range. Some reports highlighted that ramjets produce thrust only when the vehicle is already moving; ramjets cannot produce thrust when the engine is stationary or static. Since a ramjet cannot produce static thrust, some other propulsion system must be used to accelerate the vehicle to a speed where the ramjet begins to produce thrust. The higher the speed of the vehicle, the better a ramjet works until aerodynamic losses become a dominant factor, according to some previous experiments.
