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

The U.S. Air Force is moving to field its first air-launched hypersonic cruise missiles, requesting $404 million to begin production of the Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM) in FY2027. This marks a shift from development to operational capability, giving U.S. forces a fast, hard-to-intercept strike option against high-value targets in heavily defended environments.

The HACM uses a scramjet engine to sustain powered hypersonic flight at speeds near Mach 8, enabling maneuverable, lower-altitude trajectories that complicate enemy defenses. Its fighter-compatible design allows aircraft like the F-15E to carry more missiles per sortie, supporting a broader trend toward flexible, high-speed conventional strike and distributed force projection.

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The Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM) will offer faster strike speed, longer reach, and the ability to maneuver in flight, making it harder to detect and intercept while allowing the F-15E to hit targets quickly in defended areas. (Picture source: Army Recognition based on visuals from Raytheon Missiles & Defense)

On April 22, 2026, the U.S. Air Force's FY2027 budget request introduces the first procurement funding for the Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM), with $403.974 million allocated to acquire initial All-Up Rounds, containers, and associated support equipment. Marking the transition from Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E) to the first production lot for this air-launched hypersonic weapon, the FY2027 budget plans a cumulative procurement spending of $3.028 billion through FY2031, with initial operational fielding scheduled in FY2027 and initial integration on the F-15E Strike Eagle. 

The HACM, a scramjet-powered cruise missile for conventional strike missions, will specifically target fixed, high-value, time-sensitive objectives in contested environments. However, the procurement begins prior to full-rate production authorization. The FY2027 request, therefore, represents both the first acquisition of production-configured missiles and a shift toward building an operational inventory of U.S. hypersonic weapons. 

The FY2027 HACM funding allocation is divided between $365.928 million in recurring flyaway costs for missile All-Up Rounds and $38.046 million in support costs, including $12.562 million for product support, $17.478 million for program management and administrative functions, and $8.006 million for engineering changes and mitigation of diminishing manufacturing sources. No procurement funding is recorded in FY2025 or FY2026, confirming FY2027 as the program’s procurement baseline. Future programmed funding increases to $614.283 million in FY2028, $635.431 million in FY2029, $680.679 million in FY2030, and $693.929 million in FY2031, bringing the cumulative procurement total to $3.028 billion.

Procurement quantities remain undisclosed under Controlled Unclassified Information (UCI) restrictions, and unit cost data is not published, potentially reflecting a buy-to-budget acquisition strategy in which quantities vary based on negotiated pricing, with anticipated cost reductions in later production lots driven by manufacturability improvements. The propulsion system of the Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM) uses a two-stage configuration combining a solid rocket booster and a scramjet engine, with the booster accelerating the missile to a speed exceeding Mach 4 to enable scramjet ignition, after which the air-breathing engine sustains hypersonic cruise using atmospheric oxygen.

This eliminates the need for onboard oxidizer, reducing propellant mass and enabling a higher proportion of the missile’s weight to be allocated to structure and payload. The scramjet operates with supersonic airflow through the combustion chamber, requiring precise fuel injection and mixing within milliseconds to maintain stable combustion. Unlike boost-glide systems, which rely on ballistic trajectories after boost, this configuration allows continuous powered flight and in-flight trajectory adjustments, increasing maneuverability but introducing constraints related to combustion stability and sustained thermal loading. Performance estimates for the HACM indicate a maximum speed approaching Mach 8 and an operational range of about 1,000 nautical miles (1,900 kilometers), although official program figures do not disclose these parameters.

The hypersonic missile is designed for conventional payload delivery, with no indication of a nuclear warhead, and is dimensioned to fit tactical aircraft payload constraints. In the U.S., the F-15E Strike Eagle will be the initial carrier, but it is said that the missile will also be compatible with the F/A-18F Super Hornet, EA-18G Growler, F-35A Lightning II, and P-8A Poseidon. The smaller physical size compared to boost-glide systems such as ARRW allows a higher number of missiles to be carried per aircraft, increasing sortie-level weapon availability. The design reflects a trade-off between payload mass and deployability, prioritizing compatibility with fighter aircraft over maximizing range or payload weight.

Jointly developed with Australia, the operational concept of the HACM centers on engaging fixed, high-value, time-sensitive targets in contested environments, where hypersonic speed reduces time-to-target and limits the effectiveness of adversary detection and interception systems. Sustained powered flight enables maneuverability throughout the trajectory, complicating interception compared to ballistic or glide-based systems that follow more predictable flight paths. The program is structured to deliver a minimum viable operational capability before full design stabilization, with procurement beginning prior to a full-rate production decision expected after FY2027.

This approach allows early deployment while continuing refinement of guidance, propulsion, and structural components during subsequent production phases. Compared to boost-glide systems such as the AGM-183 Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW), which use a rocket booster followed by an unpowered glide phase at high altitude, the HACM maintains continuous propulsion at lower altitude, resulting in a different flight profile characterized by sustained thrust and increased maneuverability. The scramjet engine is developed by Northrop Grumman, with system integration led by Raytheon, forming a configuration optimized for fighter aircraft carriage rather than exclusive bomber deployment.

This design reduces peak speed and payload relative to larger boost-glide weapons but increases operational flexibility, allowing deployment across multiple aircraft types and enabling higher missile carriage per sortie. The air-breathing propulsion also extends the effective engagement envelope relative to the missile’s mass. Sustained hypersonic flight generates continuous aerodynamic heating, requiring advanced thermal protection systems to maintain structural integrity and protect internal components such as guidance electronics and control systems.

The transition from booster to scramjet propulsion requires precise timing and aerodynamic conditions, while the scramjet itself depends on stable combustion under supersonic airflow, which is sensitive to pressure and temperature variations. Material selection is critical, as the airframe must withstand prolonged exposure to high temperatures and mechanical stress, increasing design complexity compared to subsonic cruise missiles and requiring advanced manufacturing processes to ensure durability and reliability under operational conditions.

Production planning includes measures to stabilize the industrial base, with procurement funding allocated to address diminishing manufacturing sources, end-of-life component replacement, and qualification of alternative suppliers, particularly for commercially sourced electronic components under supply constraints. The program incorporates a reduced flight test campaign of approximately five tests prior to initial fielding, limiting the volume of empirical data available for validation and increasing reliance on modeling and simulation to confirm propulsion transition, sustained combustion, and guidance accuracy. Procurement begins before completion of the full validation cycle, reflecting a decision to prioritize early operational capability while continuing system maturation during subsequent production and testing phases.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.