India-Russia joint venture BrahMos Aerospace wants to double the speed of its ramjet-powered supersonic cruise missile to beyond Mach 5 as an interim step towards the development of a clean-sheet “BrahMos-II” hypersonic weapon.
BrahMos general manager of marketing and export Praveen Pathak says the company’s pursuit of a hypersonic missile remains in the decision phase and could take seven or eight years to fully realise.
He says the central challenge is finding the best materials to protect the hypersonic air vehicle against the extreme temperatures and shockwaves experienced during high-speed flight.
Today’s BrahMos missile travels at Mach 2.5 to 2.8, but the primary goal is to develop a weapon capable of sustaining a top speed of Mach 7 or greater using a supersonic combustion ramjet, or scramjet, engine.
“The main problem scientists are facing is how to withstand so much heat, so it’s the same situation everywhere – whether it’s India, Russia or the US,” says Pathak. “Everyone is driving to have something faster, because whoever gets there faster will be the leader.”
Ramjet engines operate most efficiently at speeds above Mach 2, but BrahMos thinks it might be possible to push ramjet technology into the high-supersonic or low-hypersonic realm.
SOURCES – Flight Global, wikipedia
Brian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked #1 Science News Blog. It covers many disruptive technology and trends including Space, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Anti-aging Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology.
Known for identifying cutting edge technologies, he is currently a Co-Founder of a startup and fundraiser for high potential early-stage companies. He is the Head of Research for Allocations for deep technology investments and an Angel Investor at Space Angels.
A frequent speaker at corporations, he has been a TEDx speaker, a Singularity University speaker and guest at numerous interviews for radio and podcasts. He is open to public speaking and advising engagements.