A comeback attempt for the use of missiles powered by scramjets and solid-fuel ramjets will highlight a dizzying year for development and testing of the most advanced long-range weapons.

Two versions of DARPA’s Hypersonic Air-Breathing Weapon Concept (HAWC) are set to perform the first powered flights of a scramjet engine since the final flight of the Air Force Research Laboratory’s (AFRL) X-51A Waverider in 2013.

Accessexclusive subscriber-only coverage as the return of scramjet and solid-fuel ramjet investment signals a shift in global hypersonic weapon priorities.

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