Sophisticated Approaches
Advanced engineering processes and sophisticated approaches to the hypersonic problem are helping drive these advances. Additive manufacturing – a transformative approach to industrial production – makes hypersonic solutions more cost-effective. Advanced materials allow engineers to develop systems that can operate at higher temperatures. Sophisticated modeling and simulation capabilities speed development processes while lowering costs. And advances in computational fluid dynamics enable designs that weren’t possible 20 years ago.
Northrop Grumman brings a broad range of skilled experts to the table in the search for hypersonic solutions. Internal testing and other capabilities allow innovative engineers and developers to put their ideas into action.
"We bring all the disciplines together — the power, the thermal, the performance," Gettinger said. "By modeling and designing all of that together, by viewing the missile as a single system, we're able to get a higher-performing system that can go farther, carry more, and fit into a smaller package."
The Northrop Grumman teams see even more breakthroughs in hypersonics and advanced weapon systems on the horizon.
"Soon we will be able to do things that simply weren't practical or affordable in the past," Gettinger predicted. "We'll see levels of performance that go even further than what is available today."
