Darryl Davis, Boeing’s head of advanced precision engagement and mobility systems, said today at AFA’s Air & Space Conference in Washington that of all the options to get a long range strike capability “on the ramp” by 2018, a hypersonic platform is the “least achievable.” Davis told reporters that while hypersonic missiles might be possible within the Air Force’s timetable, for a full-size aircraft, the “technologies are not mature enough” to enter a development program in time to meet the deadline. Boeing is involved in two hypersonic ongoing missile demonstrations—HyFly and X-51. It will take another two years to judge when a low-risk, full-size hypersonic aircraft will be possible, Davis said.
The KC-Z4, a blended wing body tanker concept being developed by startup JetZero, could fuel larger groups of aircraft at longer range to hold more targets at risk, company officials say.