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 variant compatible with both is an
option.
The vehicles will be capable of acceleration to a minimum cruise
speed of M3.0, which must be maintained for at least five minutes,
Ash said. Navy documents say that speeds of greater than M4.0 and
cruise times of more than 15 minutes are desirable.
Ash insisted that RATTLR is separate from another navy programme
called the Standoff High-speed Option for Counterproliferation
(SHOC), also an air-launched and possibly later sea-launched M3.5-
M4.5 400km-600km-range cruise missile (Jane's Defence Weekly 19
March). SHOC, Ash said, is focused on the near term, while RATTLR is
a longer-term science and technology development effort.
The ONR has begun an open search for potential contractors and
candidate technologies, with bids due in July. It is expected that
up to six contracts will be awarded starting in late September for a
single year, with additional yearly options. The ONR said that any
total contract would be worth a maximum of $175 million if all four
years' options were picked up.