Скопирую несколько статей из Janes Defence Weekly и Janes Missiles & Rockets, правда без перевода. О том, что американцы задумали...
Май 2003 года:
The US Navy is about to start developing technologies that could
lead to a new supersonic cruise missile capable of being fired from
a variety of air, ship and submarine platforms.
Planned as part of the National Aerospace Initiative, the joint
effort is called the Revolutionary Approach to Time Critical Long
Range Strike Project (RATTLR) and includes the Office of Naval
Research (ONR), the US Air Force and National Aeronautics and Space
Administration.
The programme is part of the military's research into high-speed
expendable supersonic vehicles, said Lawrence Ash, the ONR's
programme manager.
RATTLR is envisaged as having two portions: the first involves the
study, design and development of vehicles that will conduct at least
three flight demonstrations within four years. The second part would
be to conduct a technology demonstration focused on developing the
technologies that could be used in future high-speed missiles or
flight demonstrations, but not necessarily the entire systems
themselves.
The demonstration vehicles are expected to have the ability to be
quickly developed into weapons compatible with aircraft like the
F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, F/A-22 Raptor and F-35 Joint Strike Fighter,
as well as from ship- and submarine-launched Vertical Launch System
(VLS) cells. The air-launched version would have a maximum weight of
1,800 lb (816kg) - to include a 500 lb payload - and is expected to
be a "medium-range weapon". The VLS variants would have maximum
launch weights of 3,400 lb, be capable of carrying a 750 lb payload
and have a longer range. A single varia…
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