 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Raytheon Developing Morphing Wing Structures for Cruise Missiles
Tucson - Apr 30, 2003 Raytheon Company is developing a revolutionary aircraft structure technology that could change in flight to adapt to mission requirements, targets and other changes in battle. Raytheon received a $4.1 million contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) for its work under the Morphing Aircraft Structures program. Raytheon is proposing adaptive wing technology for its cruise missile mission vehicles. Prototypes are scheduled to be tested in early 2005. Morphing wings is the first in a series of steps to permit a cruise missile to travel at high speeds to a target area, loiter and then move to another target area, with speed changes from 0.3 Mach to 3.0 Mach. The technology ultimately could be applied to other platforms and future air vehicles, manned and unmanned. DARPA's Defense Sciences Office is investigating advanced concepts that use integrated design with advanced materials, actuators, sensors and electronics to create devices and adaptive structures that enable significant in-flight vehicle shape change. These shape changes are more significant than those currently found in flight vehicles, and, in turn, will enable new military capabilities such as those envisioned by Raytheon. "Raytheon's Morphing program intends to demonstrate revolutionary capability to allow a single missile to be able to perform multiple missions or the same mission more effectively," said Donald Uhlir, Raytheon's Morphing program manager. "Morphing capability applied to a missile would enable efficient flight at multiple speeds and altitudes without sacrificing performance as is currently the case when operating off the optimized cruise point," Uhlir said. Exceptionally quick response to a threat and mission flexibility could mean fewer missiles are needed to destroy a target. Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links Raytheon SpaceDaily Search SpaceDaily Subscribe To SpaceDaily Express Learn about missile defense at SpaceWar.com All about missiles at SpaceWar.com
Northrop Grumman Wins Contract For Target And Space-Launch Missile Work
Reston VA (SPX) Jan 12, 2006Northrop Grumman has been awarded a follow-on contract to provide technical support to the U.S. Air Force's Rocket Systems Launch Program (RSLP). |
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2006 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA PortalReports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additionalcopyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |
