The Defense Innovation Unit has asked industry stakeholders to propose commercial hypersonic vehicles that could be used in high-cadence testing and assessment of new hypersonic technologies.
DIU said the system should come with several capabilities, such as the capacity to enable long-endurance testing of hypersonic platforms and related components, detection and tracking sensors; communications systems and components; environmental sensors; and guidance, navigation and control systems and components.
The proposed platform for the agency’s Hypersonic and High-Cadence Airborne Testing Capabilities requirement should meet a number of criteria, including Mach 5+ with a maneuverable and non-ballistic flight profile and a method for collecting near real-time data on the performance of in-flight vehicles and subsystems to meet design, research, testing and assessment objectives.
Interested vendors may submit multiple proposals and should include in their solution briefs their proposed systems engineering approach, technical and programmatic risks, operational or deployable restrictions and proposed schedule to first flight.
Proposals are due Sept. 16th.
