Moving five times as fast as sound or faster, hypersonic weapons pose a significant threat to our national security. Defending against hypersonics, designed to out-maneuver traditional missile defense systems, requires cutting-edge technologies and techniques.
Based on experience in designing hypersonic strike weapons concepts, KBR possesses expertise to use in-house developed, model-based system engineering tools to design hypersonic targets, which simulate trajectories and performance of realistic threats.
Extensive in-house aerodynamic, thermal and trajectory modeling and simulation capabilities allows KBR to provide the government hypersonic target performance characteristics critical to properly define and replicate existing and emerging threats.
“KBR possesses expertise to model and design hypersonic targets, which simulate trajectories and performance of realistic threats.”
The process includes modeling of propulsion concepts for achieving hypersonic conditions to include ground-launched or air-launched boosters utilizing solid propulsion or air-breathing technology. Velocity insertion conditions influencing booster design are driven by the trajectory required to achieve the desired range and the aerodynamic properties of the flight vehicle.
KBR utilizes an in-house suite of fast-running design tools to model aerodynamic and heat transfer performance of flight. These tools dramatically reduce the run time over conventional analysis methods and allow us to model multiple 3-DOF and 6-DOF trajectories quickly to determine performance trends. This allows for fast, interactive missile/air vehicle design and analysis so the designer can quickly bound the problem.
KBR also possesses the ability to develop flight vehicle designs required for manufacturing hypersonic targets. An in-house, advanced materials prototyping laboratory allows KBR to develop manufacturing processes for emerging materials capable of surviving the high temperatures experienced during hypersonic flight. KBR is also currently partnered with subcontractors who specialize in fabrication of hardware required for manufacture of hypersonic targets.
