[AR] Reaction...again.

From: "Anthony Cesaroni" <anthony@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <arocket@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 18 Jul 2019 09:45:14 -0400

This seems to be a lot of effort for something that is going to get
pulverized after one use. I think there may be some tactical issues. Maybe
call it the improved Bomarc? I guess its one way to fund it.

Anthony J. Cesaroni

President/CEO

Cesaroni Technology/Cesaroni Aerospace

<http://www.cesaronitech.com/> http://www.cesaronitech.com/

(941) 360-3100 x101 Sarasota

(905) 887-2370 x222 Toronto

Jul 17, 2019 <https://aviationweek.com/author/steve-trimble> Steve Trimble |
Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

Reaction Engines

LONDONThe
<http://awin.aviationweek.com/OrganizationProfiles.aspx?orgId=27110> UK
Royal Air Force (RAF) will explore the feasibility of fielding a locally
designed hypersonic weapon within four years and separately invest £10
million ($12.4 million) to develop and test military applications for the
hypersonic propulsion systems in development by U.K.-based Reaction Engines,
senior officials announced July 17.

The announcement moves the UK into the exclusive club of nations vying to
develop hypersonic weapons and aircraft, joining China, France, Japan,
Russia and the U.S. Although the RAFs commitment stops short of a formal
program of record, the moves are likely to provide a boost for weapons-maker
MBDA UK and the national propulsion industry, including
<http://awin.aviationweek.com/OrganizationProfiles.aspx?orgId=20257>
Rolls-Royce, as the RAF studies weapons and platform options for the Team
Tempest next-generation fighter project.

The RAFs Rapid Capabilities Office is pursuing the possibility of fielding
an air-launched weapon with Mach 5 speed by 2023, said Air Vice Marshal
Simon Rochelle, chief of staff-capability. I have challenged my teamand we
are working on this with some other people at this moment in timeto see
whether or not we can generate a Mach 5 capability in four years, Rochelle
said, speaking at the Air and Space Power Conference in London.

During his remarks, Rochelle displayed a ramjet-powered missile that
appeared to be based on the Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept designed
by <http://awin.aviationweek.com/OrganizationProfiles.aspx?orgId=27191>
Lockheed Martin. But Rochelle clarified later in a brief interview that the
study is focused on UK-designed technology. He declined to elaborate on
possible propulsion systems, such as ballistic missiles, ramjet-powered
cruise missiles or boost-glide reentry vehicles.

The focus of the study is to identify an affordable solution, Rochelle
said, again without elaborating.

The RAF has no history of developing hypersonic air-breathing cruise
missiles, but as one of six national consortium members that developed the
ramjet-powered, Mach 4 Meteor, MBDA UK may have technology that can be
scaled up into a Mach 5-speed vehicle.

Justin Bronk, a research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, also
said on the sidelines at the same event that he would guess that classified
programs provide the RAF with the aerodynamic data required to scale up and
design a Mach 5-class weapon rapidly.

Such a weapon would provide extended range and speed as the UK seeks to make
its fourth-generation fighter fleet relevant for decades more, even as the
RAF continues to receive the Lockheed Martin
<http://awin.aviationweek.com/ProgramProfileDetails.aspx?pgId=613&pgName=Loc
kheed+Martin+F-35+JSF> F-35B and embarks on development of a next-generation
fighter under the Tempest project.

In his remarks, Rochelle noted that fourth-generation fighters still will
account for 80% of NATOs combat fleet by 2030, even as an increasingly
sophisticated array of integrated air defense systems forces such aircraft
to operate at much longer distances from their presumptive targets.

Imagine if all those aircraft on Day 1, Day 2 and 3 [of a conflict] are
firing thousands of an affordable Mach 5 weapon system back into the fight,
Rochelle said. It makes sure those [fourth-generation] aircraft stay
leading-edge, and not waiting for Day 7 of combat.

Simultaneously, the RAF has launched a two-year development and test program
with Reaction Engines, which has designed an air-breathing, hypersonic
engine called SABRE for future civilian manned aircraft.

The partnership is exploring how to apply the SABRE technology to existing
supersonic engines and potential future platforms under consideration by
Team Tempest, said Air Chief Marshal Stephen Hillier, the RAF chief of
staff, who spoke at the same event.

One goal is to identify potential technologies, such as the SABRE inlet
precooler, that could be applied to make supersonic engines, such as the
Rolls-Royce
<http://awin.aviationweek.com/ProgramProfileDetails.aspx?pgId=618&pgName=Eur
ojet+Turbo+EJ200> EJ200 for the
<http://awin.aviationweek.com/ProgramProfileDetails.aspx?pgId=668&pgName=Eur
ofighter+Typhoon> Eurofighter Typhoon, more efficient.

We shouldnt then read into that or say were going to achieve a hypersonic
Typhoon, Hillier added. There are many advantages besides achieving higher
speed through the sort of technology that Reaction Engines has.

Another goal is to evaluate potential hypersonic options for next-generation
platforms. The Tempest project is not formally pursuing the design of a
hypersonic aircraft, but it is possible that the family of systems
envisioned by the program may have elements that require more than
supersonic speed.

An RAF press release described the £10 million investment in hypersonic
propulsion as one part of the technologies being developed in parallel with
Project Tempest.

We will work through with the engine and find out, OK, what is its
potential, and then, alongside Tempest, what do we want that platform to be
and is there a proper congruence between the two? Hillier explained.

The RAF plans to open a center of excellence focused on hypersonic
technology, with Tempest partners
<http://awin.aviationweek.com/OrganizationProfiles.aspx?orgId=25464> BAE
Systems and Rolls-Royce participating.

In a joint statement, BAE, Rolls-Royce and Reaction Engines said the
investment will allow us to focus on developing innovative technologies for
increased aircraft performance and capability.

Follow-Ups:
- [AR] Re: Reaction...again.
  - From: Henry Spencer

[AR] Reaction...again.

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