The Air Force Research Laboratory has issued a formal request for information (RFI) on 31 May, inviting manufacturers to submit information on what the Air Force calls a ‘Conventional Prompt Global Strike Capability.’
Though the word ‘hypersonic’ appears nowhere in the RFI, ‘prompt global strike’ is a term long associated with hypersonics; another high-speed alternative, the ballistic missile, is commonly cited as politically unacceptable.
Among the companies that have officially registered interest are Boeing and Northrop Grumman, two companies with both a long history and recent experience with hypersonic designs.
Boeing reportedly plans to offer an update of its dormant hypersonic vehicle (HSV) concept, a proposal that lost out to Lockheed Martin for a Defense Advanced Research Program Agency (DARPA) contract, which became the troubled Falcon program. Falcon versions one and three were cancelled, and Falcon Two lost control shortly after its first launch.
Source: Flight Global