U.S. Advances Hypersonic Capabilities With Reusable Tech
United States: The U.S. successfully tested a second reusable hypersonic test vehicle in March, according to the Pentagon during its Monday announcement, as it advances U.S. hypersonic technological development, as reported by Reuters.
The reusable vehicle allows faster and less expensive reactivation compared to single-use rockets, thus enabling the U.S. to develop future arms that operate at speeds multiple times faster than sound while hindering enemy defenses.
Stratolaunch’s Talon-A Surpasses Mach 5—Twice
Stratolaunch failed to announce the successful first test of their reusable Talon-A test aircraft which took place in December 2024. The aerospace company Stratolaunch operates from Mojave California.
“In both tests, the Stratolaunch Talon-A hypersonic vehicle launched from the Roc carrier aircraft, flew over the Pacific Ocean and achieved speeds greater than Mach 5 before landing at Vandenberg Space Force Base,” the Department of Defense said.
Stratolaunch successfully completed the second hypersonic flight and recovery with the Talon-A2 fully autonomous vehicle. This significant accomplishment follows the successful first hypersonic flight of Talon-A2 confirming the demonstrated reusability of the vehicle.
— Stratolaunch (@Stratolaunch) May 5, 2025
NEWS:… pic.twitter.com/QujwZiu0Sh
World’s Largest Aircraft Supports Cutting-Edge Testing
Stratolaunch operates from the aircraft platform known as Roc. The two-body fuselage design of this aircraft makes it the world’s largest currently active aircraft.
Testing of hypersonic weapon systems will occur aboard the Talon-A test vehicle when weapons systems evolve during development. Engineers who create aircraft components can evaluate various engine sensing systems and communication devices while testing Talon-A’s reusable models.
Start-up Ursa Major manufactured the Hadley liquid rocket engine to power the Talon-A under its announcement.
Hypersonic Weapons Race Intensifies
Hypersonic weapons operate in the upper atmosphere exceeding five times the speed of sound which equals approximately 6,200 km per hour.
🇺🇸🚀⚡ Pentagon Confirms 2nd Successful Test of Reusable Hypersonic Vehicle
— PiQ (@PiQSuite) May 5, 2025
🔹 Summary:
The Pentagon announced its second successful test of the Stratolaunch Talon-A reusable hypersonic vehicle, marking a milestone in accelerating U.S. hypersonic weapons development.
The… https://t.co/5xuASyko5q pic.twitter.com/8YmpYRxEa0
Lockheed Martin (LMT.N) Northrop Grumman (NOC.N) and RTX Corp (RTX.N) together with other defense companies promote their hypersonic weapon initiatives, as reported by Reuters.
Defense contractors seek to take advantage of hypersonic weapon proliferation through the creation of both interceptor systems and hypersonic weaponry themselves.
