Defense company Ursa Major (USA) has just introduced a new hypersonic missile named HAVOC, designed with the ability to flexibly adjust thrust right during flight.
The difference of this system is that it can slow down, accelerate and even restart in mid-air. This is considered a factor that will significantly complicate the tracking and interception of this type of missile.
HAVOC is equipped with a Draper liquid fuel engine developed by Ursa Major itself. This is a type of engine that can store fuel, allowing it to turn on - off and restart at any stage of the flight.
Thanks to that, the missile does not have to maintain maximum speed continuously but can save energy, then accelerate suddenly in the final phase to increase destructive power.
According to the introduction, HAVOC can operate both inside and outside the Earth's atmosphere, expanding the scope of operations compared to many traditional systems.
The ability to adjust trajectory and mid-range thrust makes predicting flight paths more difficult, especially in the context that modern defense systems are increasingly dependent on calculating stable trajectories for interception.
Ursa Major said that HAVOC is designed to aim for mass production and has the ability to expand scale. The company applies a streamlined production process along with 3D metal printing technology (additive production) to reduce engine costs.
The goal is to create a supersonic solution with reasonable cost, fast deployment and response to air threats that require urgent handling.
Mr. Chris Spagnoletti, CEO of Ursa Major, emphasized that HAVOC is a hypersonic weapon designed from the beginning to be produced quickly and in large quantities, bringing high adaptability to combat forces.
According to Mr. Chris Spagnoletti, in the current technology race, not only sophisticated systems are needed but also the speed of deployment and scalability must be ensured.
Another notable point is the multi-amplifier compatibility. HAVOC can be integrated with many different types of propellants to achieve the desired speed and altitude.
This design allows deployment from a variety of platforms such as fighter jets, bombers, vertical launch systems or ground launchers.
Ursa Major said they have more than a decade of experience developing hypersonic engines, based on Hadley liquid fuel engines that have been tested in real flight conditions.
The company also cooperated with the US Air Force Research Laboratory in affordable missile demonstration programs.
With HAVOC, Ursa Major is aiming for a more flexible generation of hypersonic weapons, emphasizing mobility, fast production and optimal cost, which are increasingly important factors in the modern security environment.
