La Fuerza A\u00e9rea de EUA (US AIR FORCE) ha asignado a la empresa LOCKHEED MARTIN, un importante contrato de hasta US$ 918 millones, por el dise\u00f1o, desarrollo, ensayos de vuelo, producci\u00f3n inicial y despliegue, de un Misil Hipers\u00f3nico para ser lanzado desde aeronave, en el marco de un programa denominado Hypersonic Conventional Strike Weapon (HCSW). Este sistema de armas, que deber\u00e1 alcanzar velocidades de hasta MACH 5 como m\u00ednimo, tiene por objetivo colocar a EUA a la vanguardia de potenciales oponentes, como Rusia y China, que llevan adelante desarrollos similares de armas hipers\u00f3nicas.<\/p>\n
Under the indefinite-delivery\/indefinite-quantity contract, Lockheed Martin will develop the Hypersonic Conventional Strike Weapon (HCSW), a new air-launched weapon system. The company is working closely with the Air Force to finalize system requirements under the contract\u2019s initial task order.<\/p>\n
This is the first phase of a development program, with future phases progressing through design, flight test, initial production and deployment of the weapon system at early operational capability. The contract ceiling through early operational capability is $928 million.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur goal is rapid development and fielding of the HCSW system, and this contract is the first step in achieving that goal,\u201d said John Snyder, vice president of Air Force Strategic Programs at Lockheed Martin. \u201cDesign, development, production, integration and test experts from across Lockheed Martin will partner with the Air Force to achieve early operational capability and deliver the system to our warfighters. We are incredibly proud to be leading this effort.\u201d<\/p>\n
The HCSW team will primarily work in Huntsville, Alabama; Valley Forge, Pennsylvania; and Orlando, Florida; with additional expertise in Denver, Colorado, and Sunnyvale, California.<\/p>\n
Lockheed Martin has developed and flown more hypersonic vehicles than any other U.S. company. The company has decades of hypersonic development and flight test experience from government contracts as well as internal investments in research and development projects.<\/p>\n