The application of hypersonic speed aircraft on the military affairs is traditional upper limit is hit at long-range scout, strategy, nevertheless this one situation is about to produce a change possibly. Before before long, american department of defense puts forward to fight for army ground the conception that army provides weapon of tactical hypersonic speed, this one plan will be mixed by American army advanced research plans American national defence bureau (DARPA) advance jointly. If this plans to be able to go on wheels, will make hypersonic speed weapon is become first onshore fight equipment.
The name of project of hypersonic speed weapon that American army and DARPA have is " OpFires " , this project will use the relevant technology that fires hypersonic speed weapon for nothing, develop face of one cultivate land to blast off, adjustable different load and cannon-shot, have hypersonic speed dash forward the new-style weapon that prevents ability. To achieve design goal, opFires will use brand-new roll booster. Current, opFires is in phase of project invite public bidding, its two stature systems (weapon system is compositive with dynamical system) will undertake invite public bidding respectively, the conformity with emissive system is finished again after waiting for two subsystem to mature respectively.
Current, the weapon of brunt tactics assault of American army is system of missile of MGM-140 army tactics (namely ATACMS) . ATACMS is tactics of a kind of short range ballistic missile. ATACMS can use M270 or M142 bazooka blast off frame blast off, can launch bit of 300 kilometre limits to the distance the feature face award inside undertakes hitting. Because ATACMS has not had distinct advantage on function, the fag end that faces rapid development especially guides the system survives instead force has dropped considerably, at present the U.S. Army is considering to use new-style weapon system to replace ATACMS. If OpFires project goes well, replace hopeful ATACMS to become tactics of American army new generation to atttack a weapon.
Nevertheless, ATACMS is not to do not have sequela at present. 2017, american army begins to advance " long-range and accurate firepower (LRPF) " project, this project tasties in research and development ballistic missile replaces a kind of new-style tactics ATACMS. Compare with ATACMS photograph, the design index of LRPF promotes considerably, its are the biggest cannon-shot asks to achieve 500 kilometre, will have the capacity that hits mobile target. Compare with ATACMS photograph, the volume of LRPF is minorrer, of M270 blast off frame can accommodate 4, m142 can accommodate two, double what play a quantity to achieve ATACMS fully. In addition, LRPF still will have the capacity that hits surface target, that is to say, it is OK also to should be played as turn over naval vessel ballistic missile is used.
The relation between OpFires and LRPF, decide very hard still at present. If both between the relation that is mutual collocation, so OpFires wants to undertake discriminative in cannon-shot and blow ability respect and LRPF necessarily. Consider hypersonic speed is aero characteristic, if the design target of OpFires is the weapon system with more projectile than LRPF farther distance, so OpFires may touch " in guide treaty " , in occurrence trouble of the likelihood on deploy. In addition, in remote the strong point that firepower projects is air force all the time, if OpFires grabbed the rice bowl of air force, meet those who create army services contradiction deepen probably. And if OpFires belongs to short range weapon, consider hypersonic speed is aero characteristic, not was necessary completely to use hypersonic speed to design again. Anyhow, handle the relation of OpFires and LRPF, likely to American army it is a troublesome issue.
Even if is such, the occurrence of OpFires, remain army firepower to cast the revolution that shoots a method. The occurrence of concept of this kind of weapon, indicating army firepower is projectile the remarkable promotion of ability. Considering guide instead at present the early-warning of weapon system and response rate, a kind hypersonic speed weapon will have OpFires more exceedingly good than ballistic missile dash forward prevent ability, can come true not to suffer intercept absolutely even. To cannot research and development or the state that win weapon of Liu Jigao supersonic speed to regard quits fight back as the method, opFires will make be worthy of the name probably " disaster " .
