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A STRONG OFFENSE FOR THE WORLD OF DEFENSE

October 6, 2026 The U.S. Air Force’s scramjet-powered Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM) has finally reached the flight test phase, with at least one “release” having been carried out so far over a range in Australia. HACM has suffered significant delays, and the Air Force has taken the risky step of scaling back overall testing plans to try to keep the program on schedule. The stated goal is to be able to make a decision to start rapidly acquiring HACMs in 2027. The Air Force has been working on HACM in cooperation with the Royal Australian Air Force. Raytheon (now formally RTX), in cooperation with Northrop Grumman, was chosen to develop the missile in 2022. The weapon has reportedly been designated AHM-4A in a new branch of the U.S. military’s joint service nomenclature system for aircraft and missiles. Read the full report here.

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From the Archive

SR-71 Blackbird’s Predecessor Looked Even Cooler With Canards

An early design of the SR-71's predecessor had massive canard foreplanes. This is what it would've looked like if it had flown.

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Hot Shots

AV-8 Harriers fly in formation after conducting aerial refueling training operations in the U.S. Central Command AOR. Photo by Gunnery Sgt. Chad Kiehl

Marines with India Battery fire an M-327 120mm Expeditionary Fire Support System during live-fire training at Udairi Range in Kuwait. USMC photo by 2nd Lt. Joshua W. Larson

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