---
title: "New Missile Lobs Nukes 5x Faster Than Sound"
description: "DARPA wants contractors to develop an \"air-breathing\" hypersonic weapon. Now Raytheon is ready to test a missile that can travel 5x faster than sound."
date: "2019-06-18"
modified: "2019-06-18"
authors:
  - name: "Dan Robitzski"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/danrobitzski"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/darpa-missile-nukes-sound"
categories:
  - "DARPA"
  - "Military"
  - "Science & Energy"
tags:
  - "conflict"
  - "DARPA"
  - "nuclear"
  - "the digest"
  - "weapons"
---

# New Missile Lobs Nukes 5x Faster Than Sound

![DARPA wants contractors to develop an "air-breathing" hypersonic weapon. Now Raytheon is ready to test a missile that can travel 5x faster than sound.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/darpa-missile-nukes-sound.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: Raytheon/Victor Tangermann\</em\>*

## Ready For Launch

Weapons developers Raytheon and Northrop Grumman are ready to start flight tests for their new hypersonic missile, which is capable of firing a nuclear warhead at five times the speed of sound.

The two companies announced that they'd partnered up at Tuesday's Paris Air Show, [according to *Defense News*](<https://www.defensenews.com/digital-show-dailies/paris-air-show/2019/06/18/northrop-to-build-3d-printed-scramjet-engine-for-raytheon-hypersonic-weapon/>). The missile is the companies' bid for a hypersonic weaponry contract with the government, which would herald in a terrifying new age of warfare where powerful missiles travel too quickly [to be intercepted](<https://futurism.com/pentagon-darpa-intercepting-hypersonic-nukes>).

## Jet Stream

DARPA, the U.S. military's dedicated research division, has put out a call for developers to build what it calls an ["air-breathing" hypersonic weapon](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/raytheon-hypersonic-tactical-boost-glide>), per *Defense News*, that should be able to take in and compress air as it flies, then combusting it to further propel and accelerate the weapon.

The weapon, [according to *Reuters*](<https://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-airshow-raytheon-hypersonic/northrop-engine-teams-with-raytheon-hypersonic-program-idUSKCN1TJ0UJ>), will be able to carry nuclear warheads as well as conventional payloads.

## Missile Division

Based on the presentation given by Tom Bussing, vice president of Raytheon's advanced missile division, it sounds like the new missile — built by Raytheon and housing a 3d-printed Northrop engine — is about ready.

"We have a flight test planned for the near future where we will begin flying this particular class of weapon system," he told the crowd at Paris.

**READ MORE:** [Northrop to build 3D-printed scramjet engine for Raytheon hypersonic weapon](<https://www.defensenews.com/digital-show-dailies/paris-air-show/2019/06/18/northrop-to-build-3d-printed-scramjet-engine-for-raytheon-hypersonic-weapon/>) \[*Defense News*\]

**More on DARPA:** *[The Pentagon Needs Help Intercepting “Hypersonic” Nukes](<https://futurism.com/pentagon-darpa-intercepting-hypersonic-nukes>)*

## Author
Dan Robitzki is a senior reporter for Futurism, where he likes to cover AI, tech ethics, and medicine. He spends his extra time fencing and streaming games from Los Angeles, California.

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://x.com/danrobitzski>)