U.S. Air Force Starts HACM Hypersonic Cruise Missile Testing in Australia for Long-Range Strike.

The U.S. Air Force has begun flight testing its Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile after the Royal Australian Air Force released a HACM test article over an Australian range, moving the delayed weapon program into its flight-test phase. The event advances the missile toward further testing, although the Air Force has not disclosed whether the weapon continued under powered flight after release.

The U.S. Air Force has moved the HACM into flight testing following the release of a test article by the Royal Australian Air Force over an undisclosed range in Australia. The War Zone first reported the event after receiving direct confirmation from a U.S. Air Force spokesperson, while the exact location and timing of the test remain undisclosed. The Air Force has also not said whether the missile transitioned to powered flight after separating from its carrier aircraft.

Related News: US Air Force requests $404 Million to produce first HACM hypersonic missiles in FY2027 Budget

The Royal Australian Air Force F/A-18F Super Hornet is planned to support HACM flight testing, while the hypersonic cruise missile uses an air-breathing scramjet propulsion system. (Picture sources: Australian Department of Defence / Raytheon Missiles & Defense)

The test took place under the Southern Cross Integrated Flight Research Experiment, or SCIFiRE, which brings together the United States and Australia in the development of air-launched hypersonic weapons. The U.S. Air Force spokesperson cited by The War Zone said the RAAF released a HACM test article to collect data under realistic flight conditions. No aircraft type has been officially linked to this specific event. U.S. documents had previously identified Australian F/A-18F Super Hornets for some flight tests, while the F-15E Strike Eagle is expected to become one of the first U.S. carrier aircraft for the weapon.

HACM is being developed by Raytheon, an RTX business, with Northrop Grumman responsible for propulsion, building on earlier work conducted under DARPA’s Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept program. The missile uses a two-stage configuration in which a solid-fuel booster accelerates the weapon before a supersonic-combustion ramjet takes over. The scramjet then uses atmospheric oxygen to sustain powered hypersonic flight. Publicly available data support a speed above Mach 5, but neither the U.S. Air Force nor the manufacturers have disclosed an official maximum speed or operational range.

The first release comes at a difficult point in the program’s schedule. In its annual assessment published in July 2026, the U.S. Government Accountability Office said the Air Force had reduced the planned flight-test campaign from seven events to five during the rapid-prototyping phase. The GAO also assessed that the program had effectively exhausted its available schedule margin and noted that completion of the first three tests is considered essential to inform a decision on rapid fielding and procurement in fiscal year 2027.

The Air Force plans to produce 13 missiles during this phase, including flight-test rounds, spares, and weapons that could contribute to an initial operational capability. The schedule remains exposed to considerable risk. According to the GAO, a major failure during testing could prevent completion of all five flights within the five-year rapid-prototyping period. To preserve the timeline, some component-validation activities are being conducted in parallel with final system development, an approach that shortens the schedule but could require further modifications if individual elements fail during testing.

Australia’s role goes beyond providing a test location. During the 2024 AUSMIN ministerial consultations, Washington and Canberra confirmed that HACM ground testing was preparing the way for a bilateral flight-test campaign, while also stating their intention to move this cooperation toward a deployable capability. Australia considers HACM one possible route toward its first air-launched hypersonic weapon, giving the program implications for interoperability, aircraft integration and the future structure of Australian long-range strike capabilities.

A scramjet-powered cruise missile offers several advantages against an integrated air-defense network. Speeds above Mach 5 reduce the time available to detect, classify, and engage the incoming weapon. Air launch also allows the firing position to be adjusted according to the operational situation and can extend effective strike reach without requiring the carrier aircraft to penetrate deeply into defended airspace. HACM is therefore intended for heavily defended or time-sensitive targets, including air-defense systems, command facilities and opposing strike assets.

The move into flight testing now places HACM on a compressed path toward a possible rapid-fielding decision in 2027. If the remaining campaign stays on schedule, the weapon would give the United States an air-launched hypersonic strike capability compatible with tactical aircraft such as the F-15E, while Australia is preparing integration on the F/A-18F under SCIFiRE. This configuration would broaden strike options from dispersed launch axes across the Indo-Pacific and give Canberra direct access to a future air-launched hypersonic capability. Against Chinese long-range missile and air-defense networks designed to keep opposing forces at greater distance, HACM’s relevance lies not only in speed but also in the ability to distribute launch platforms and further compress the reaction time available to defending forces.

Written By Erwan Halna du Fretay - Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Erwan Halna du Fretay holds a Master’s degree in International Relations and has experience studying conflicts and global arms transfers. His research interests include security and strategic studies, particularly the dynamics of the defense industry, the evolution of military technologies, and the strategic transformation of armed forces.

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