The demonstration comes at a time when the Department of Defense is emphasizing speed of weapons development coupled with a concern for controlling costs.
The flight “represents a key milestone in our efforts to develop revolutionary, affordable and scalable liquid rocket engine technologies to win the wars of tomorrow,” Javier Urzay, AFRL rocket propulsion division chief, said in a DOD statement.
Asked how soon this technology could be used in combat, a spokeswoman for AFRL at Wright-Patterson said the “ARMD” flight was a demonstration.
“The knowledge gained from this program will be leveraged in the development of operational systems in future endeavors,” she said.
Citing “operational security concerns,” the spokeswoman said an interview on the rocket wasn’t possible.
“This program aims at forging a new path toward a cost-effective, mass-producible deterrent for the nation. This program represents a new paradigm of acceleration of research and development of critical defense technologies rooted in fast-paced, effective public-private partnerships,” she said.
AFRL’s headquarters manages and oversees this and an array of other Air Force weapons programs.
“This flight proves that you can get a vehicle with a safe, storable and throttleable liquid engine in the air quickly and affordably,” Chris Spagnoletti, chief executive of defense contractor Ursa Major, said in the Air Force’s statement on the demonstration. “We went from contract to flight-ready of an all-up round and propulsion system in just eight months.”
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