DARPA hypersonic effort accelerates
By George Leopold
Oct 27, 2017
DARPA has awarded a pair of R&D contracts to develop and demonstrate a new propulsion technology capable of operating up to hypersonic speeds.
The contract awards are part of the agency's Advanced Full Range Engine (AFRE) program launched several years ago to develop reusable aircraft capable of hypersonic speeds of about Mach 5 (about 3,300 miles per hour). The program seeks to develop a propulsion system capable of exceeding the top speed of traditional jet-turbine engines that top out at about Mach 2.5 while developing a reusable capability required for sustained flight at Mach 5.
https://defensesystems.com/articles/2017/10/27/afrl.aspx
