EUA avançam no desenvolvimento de drones hipersônicos Mach 5

U.S. Companies Plan Hypersonic Drones That Reach Mach 5

Written by Romário Pereira de Carvalho

Published on 13/02/2025 at 16:58

Hellhound is a family of Unmanned Aircraft Systems with multiple specialized variants. (Rendering of Hellhound provided by Cummings Aerospace)

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American Companies Are Developing Hypersonic Drones Capable of Reaching Mach 5, Five Times the Speed of Sound

Two companies from the United States have formed a partnership to create unmanned aircraft capable of achieving hypersonic speeds – more than five times the speed of sound.

Cummings Aerospace, from Alabama, and ATRX have signed an agreement to develop an affordable and high-performance drone by integrating a turbo-rocket engine with a tested airframe.

The collaboration aims to provide the U.S. military and its allies with a competitive advantage against the advancements of China and Russia in the hypersonic technology sector. The ultimate goal is to increase the stock of ultra-fast military drones for the U.S..

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New Generation of Drones and Spaceplanes

The partnership between Cummings Aerospace and ATRX is not limited to hypersonic drones. The companies also plan to develop an unmanned spaceplane designed to take off and land on any conventional runway in the world.

Cummings Aerospace will contribute its Hellhound UAS line, a family of modular aircraft printed in 3D.

Recently, the Hellhound S3 version was tested, reaching 350 miles per hour (about 560 km/h) with half the engine power. During the test, it covered 20 km using only half the available fuel.

The company highlights that the Hellhound’s design allows for adaptations based on customer needs, making it a flexible and scalable solution.

ATRX will provide its Air Turbo (ATR) propulsion system, a high-speed engine capable of reaching Mach 5. According to the company, the ATR consumes 25% less propellant than traditional rocket engines, reducing costs and increasing operational efficiency.

Race for Hypersonic Technology

The United States has significantly increased investments in the development of hypersonic weapons, driven by growing threats from Russia and China.

Earlier this year, the military technology giant Kratos secured a $1.45 billion contract with the Pentagon to create a testing bank specifically for this technology.

One of the challenges for American defense is ensuring accuracy with these weapons, as, unlike the Russian and Chinese versions, U.S. hypersonic missiles will be equipped with conventional warheads – not nuclear ones.

This requires strict control over the trajectory and impact to maximize the efficiency of the armament.

With information from interesting engineering.

U.S. Companies Plan Hypersonic Drones That Reach Mach 5

American Companies Are Developing Hypersonic Drones Capable of Reaching Mach 5, Five Times the Speed of Sound

New Generation of Drones and Spaceplanes

Race for Hypersonic Technology

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U.S. Companies Plan Hypersonic Drones That Reach Mach 5

American Companies Are Developing Hypersonic Drones Capable of Reaching Mach 5, Five Times the Speed of Sound

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