Boeing will develop and test hypersonic interceptor technology for the Glide Breaker program. During flight testing, Boeing performs hydrodynamic analysis, wind tunnel testing, and evaluation of aerodynamic interaction effects of the jet aircraft.

Interceptors are designed to destroy other missiles in flight before they reach their targets. The Glide Breaker interceptor currently under development is intended to be a significant improvement in interceptor missiles, as it is specifically designed to destroy hypersonic vehicles.

Hypersonic vehicles are known for their high maneuverability and ability to make sudden zig-zag maneuvers while gliding without power through the Earth’s atmosphere at speeds of Mach 5 and above. This combination of speed and maneuverability makes such weapons much more difficult to defend than conventional missiles.

“Hypersonic vehicles are among the most dangerous and rapidly evolving threats to national security,” said Gil Griffin, Boeing Phantom Works Executive Director of Advanced Weapons. “We are focused on the technological understanding needed to further develop anti-hypersonic capabilities and protect against future threats.”

The Glide Breaker project aims to develop and advance future hypersonic interceptors that can effectively destroy a target moving five times the speed of sound in the upper atmosphere during the “glide phase”.

Boeing’s agreement with DARPA includes wind tunnel testing, modeling and flight testing of the Glide Breaker prototype. Boeing-led development and testing will form the basis for future operational glider interceptors that can protect against evolving complex and hypersonic threats. Source