Latest news with #hypersonic
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Is Increased Focus on Hypersonic Tech Opening New Doors for Rocket Lab?
In recent years, the rapid development and adoption of hypersonic technology across industries, from aerospace and defense to space exploration, have opened new growth avenues for Rocket Lab USA RKLB, a key player in hypersonic testing with its HASTE launch system. With commercial firms and government agencies ramping up investments in advanced hypersonic systems to bolster space access and national security, RKLB remains well-positioned to capitalize on this accelerating technological shift. Notably, Rocket Lab's HAEST (Hypersonic accelerator suborbital test electron) is a suborbital testbed launch vehicle that provides reliable, high-cadence flight test opportunities needed to boost hypersonic and suborbital system technology development. In April 2025, Rocket Lab secured a contract from Kratos Defense to conduct a full-scale hypersonic test flight for the U.S. Department of Defense. Additionally, RKLB's HASTE platform has been included in two major defense frameworks — the $46 billion Enterprise-Wide Agile Acquisition Contract with the U.S. Air Force and the UK Ministry of Defence's £1 billion ($1.3 billion) Hypersonic Technologies & Capability Development Framework. These programs allow Rocket Lab to compete for launch and engineering services in advancing hypersonic technologies. The inclusion across both U.S. and UK initiatives underscores the growing demand for HASTE in defense testing and is likely to significantly boost Rocket Lab's future revenue stream. While HASTE has not yet won any purely commercial contract, its demonstrated reliability and cadence in the defense sector may soon open doors to non-defense payload opportunities. As increased investment in hypersonic technology has become a global trend lately, with nations like the United States, the United Kingdom, and China significantly boosting funding for research and development in this tech, other stocks like Lockheed Martin LMT and RTX Corp. RTX are also indulging in advanced hypersonic technology developments. Notably, Lockheed Martin has been developing highly advanced hypersonic technology for the past 60 years. To this end, the company is currently working in partnership with DARPA, the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Army, and the U.S. Navy to transition hypersonic concepts to operational reality. LMT's Conventional Prompt Strike is a hypersonic boost-glide missile currently under development, which boasts the capability to provide longer range, shorter flight times, and high survivability against enemy defenses. On the other hand, RTX is working across its business and domains to move advanced hypersonic capabilities from creation to testing and into the hands of warfighters at top speed. RTX is currently involved in the design of the Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile, which leverages Northrop Grumman's scramjet propulsion to travel at more than five times the speed of sound and cover vast distances in minutes. The U.S. Air Force currently expects this missile to be operational by fiscal 2027. Shares of RKLB have surged 467.2% in the past year compared with the industry's 40.9% growth. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research The company's shares are trading at a premium on a relative basis, with its forward 12-month Price/Sales being 17.85X compared with its industry's average of 9.65X. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research The Zacks Consensus Estimate for RKLB's 2025 and 2026 earnings has improved over the past 60 days. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research RKLB currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMT) : Free Stock Analysis Report RTX Corporation (RTX) : Free Stock Analysis Report Rocket Lab Corporation (RKLB) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research Sign in to access your portfolio
Globe and Mail
a day ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Is Increased Focus on Hypersonic Tech Opening New Doors for Rocket Lab?
In recent years, the rapid development and adoption of hypersonic technology across industries, from aerospace and defense to space exploration, have opened new growth avenues for Rocket Lab USA RKLB, a key player in hypersonic testing with its HASTE launch system. With commercial firms and government agencies ramping up investments in advanced hypersonic systems to bolster space access and national security, RKLB remains well-positioned to capitalize on this accelerating technological shift. Notably, Rocket Lab's HAEST (Hypersonic accelerator suborbital test electron) is a suborbital testbed launch vehicle that provides reliable, high-cadence flight test opportunities needed to boost hypersonic and suborbital system technology development. In April 2025, Rocket Lab secured a contract from Kratos Defense to conduct a full-scale hypersonic test flight for the U.S. Department of Defense. Additionally, RKLB's HASTE platform has been included in two major defense frameworks — the $46 billion Enterprise-Wide Agile Acquisition Contract with the U.S. Air Force and the UK Ministry of Defence's £1 billion ($1.3 billion) Hypersonic Technologies & Capability Development Framework. These programs allow Rocket Lab to compete for launch and engineering services in advancing hypersonic technologies. The inclusion across both U.S. and UK initiatives underscores the growing demand for HASTE in defense testing and is likely to significantly boost Rocket Lab's future revenue stream. While HASTE has not yet won any purely commercial contract, its demonstrated reliability and cadence in the defense sector may soon open doors to non-defense payload opportunities. Other Stocks Focusing on Hypersonic As increased investment in hypersonic technology has become a global trend lately, with nations like the United States, the United Kingdom, and China significantly boosting funding for research and development in this tech, other stocks like Lockheed Martin LMT and RTX Corp. RTX are also indulging in advanced hypersonic technology developments. Notably, Lockheed Martin has been developing highly advanced hypersonic technology for the past 60 years. To this end, the company is currently working in partnership with DARPA, the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Army, and the U.S. Navy to transition hypersonic concepts to operational reality. LMT's Conventional Prompt Strike is a hypersonic boost-glide missile currently under development, which boasts the capability to provide longer range, shorter flight times, and high survivability against enemy defenses. On the other hand, RTX is working across its business and domains to move advanced hypersonic capabilities from creation to testing and into the hands of warfighters at top speed. RTX is currently involved in the design of the Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile, which leverages Northrop Grumman's scramjet propulsion to travel at more than five times the speed of sound and cover vast distances in minutes. The U.S. Air Force currently expects this missile to be operational by fiscal 2027. The Zacks Rundown for RKLB Shares of RKLB have surged 467.2% in the past year compared with the industry 's 40.9% growth. The company's shares are trading at a premium on a relative basis, with its forward 12-month Price/Sales being 17.85X compared with its industry's average of 9.65X. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for RKLB's 2025 and 2026 earnings has improved over the past 60 days. RKLB currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Only $1 to See All Zacks' Buys and Sells We're not kidding. Several years ago, we shocked our members by offering them 30-day access to all our picks for the total sum of only $1. No obligation to spend another cent. Thousands have taken advantage of this opportunity. Thousands did not - they thought there must be a catch. Yes, we do have a reason. We want you to get acquainted with our portfolio services like Surprise Trader, Stocks Under $10, Technology Innovators, and more, that closed 256 positions with double- and triple-digit gains in 2024 alone. See Stocks Now >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMT): Free Stock Analysis Report Rocket Lab Corporation (RKLB): Free Stock Analysis Report
The Independent
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Why hypersonic missiles could change the course of the Iran-Israel conflict
Iran has asserted that it possesses and has begun deploying advanced hypersonic missiles against Israel. However, these claims currently lack any verifiable evidence, and military experts have expressed scepticism. Should these high-speed projectiles indeed be in Iran's arsenal and deployed, they could present an unprecedented challenge to Israel's sophisticated missile-defence system, the iron dome. This potential shift in military capability, if proven true, would undoubtedly alter the dynamics of the long-standing and bitter conflict between the two nations. Here's a closer look at these advanced weapons: What is a hypersonic missile and what makes them so feared? Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard claimed Wednesday that it had fired what it said were hypersonic 'Fattah 1' missiles toward Israel. But whether these missiles are hypersonic is a matter of debate. Simply put, hypersonic weapons are any missile that travels beyond Mach 5, five times the speed of sound. Ballistic missiles, fired high up or outside the earth's atmosphere, routinely reach this speed. But in modern warfare, experts say hypersonic weapons must also have advanced navigation systems – making them nimble and capable of changing their trajectory. This can challenge traditional defence systems, said Jack Watling, a senior fellow at the Royal United Services Institute. Traditional ballistic missiles fly on a trajectory that missile-defence systems like the U.S.-made Patriot can anticipate. Cruise missiles, which can hug terrain, or hypersonic missiles, which are fired to a lower altitude, have less predictable trajectories and are harder to stop. 'Radar can see a missile on a ballistic curve because it's above the radar horizon. If it's a hypersonic glide vehicle, it can fly lower and hills get in the way,' Watling said. 'That further reduces the time that you will have to engage because if it comes over the horizon, you suddenly see it, and then it's over.' Who has hypersonic missiles or is developing them? Experts say the U.S. and China are the only countries that have developed new-generation hypersonic missiles — but neither have used them in battle. Other nations such as Russia, North Korea and Pakistan have tested or used missiles with similar but less sophisticated technology. 'In the way that it is currently being used, the term 'hypersonic' often has little to no meaning and at the same time fuels competitive dynamics and a fear of missing out on the technology,' according to a 2022 report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. The U.S. says it is putting hypersonic missiles on a stealth destroyer and is developing and testing other programs. China tested its first hypersonic missile in 2017 and has since developed an array of hypersonic weapons that the U.S. Defence Department says could threaten Hawaii, Alaska and even the continental U.S. Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth has warned of China's ' huge investments ' in military technology including hypersonic weapons. What are Iran's capabilities? Most countries can't make missiles that would weather the temperature and momentum stresses of these incredibly fast munitions, Watling said. 'This is a hugely complicated task. The Iranians don't have the capacity to manufacture them,' he said. Most of the missiles Iran has deployed against Israel travel at hypersonic speed, but are barely manoeuvrable, so are not considered true hypersonic missiles, said Yehoshua Kalisky, a senior researcher at the Israeli think tank INSS and a former scientist in Israeli defence industries. The missile it has launched, the Fattah 1 has had minimal success. Israel says Iran has fired over 400 missiles, with over 40 causing damage or casualties. 'Israel is able to intercept more than 95% of the missiles because speed is not crucial,' said Kalisky. 'What is important is the manoeuvrability of the incoming missiles, and so far the manoeuvrability of these missiles is limited.' He said Iran has two fast and manoeuvrable missiles, the Khorramshahr and Fattah 2, that would be 'more difficult' to intercept. But neither have been deployed. When and where have hypersonic missiles been used? Russia has claimed to have used hypersonic missiles in its war against Ukraine, but experts say that while fast they do not maneuver enough to be considered true hypersonic weapons. Russia President Vladimir Putin boasted of the development and use of the Orenshik in Ukraine — claiming that flies 'like a meteorite' at 10 times the speed of sound, and that it was immune to any missile defence system. Ukrainian military officials said it reached Mach 11. The Pentagon said last December the Oreshnik fired was an experimental type of intermediate-range ballistic missile. Russia has also claimed its Kinzhal missile is hypersonic, but Ukraine has been able to intercept them with the U.S.-made Patriot missile defence system. During the recent fighting between India and Pakistan over the disputed territory of Kashmir, Pakistan said it destroyed a Russian-built S-400 air defence system in India's border Punjab state with hypersonic missiles launched from a warplane. Brazil, Australia, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Iran, Japan, South Korea and North Korea all have hypersonic weapons programs. The European Union is studying how to develop an interceptor for hypersonic missiles as it ramps up defence spending to counter the Russian threat.
LBCI
2 days ago
- Politics
- LBCI
Iran launches hypersonic missiles against Israel in new attack: State TV
Iran launched hypersonic missiles in a new wave of attacks against Israel on Wednesday, state TV reported, as fighting between the two foes raged for the sixth day. The Fattah hypersonic missiles "have successfully penetrated the Israeli regime's defenses," state TV reported. AFP
South China Morning Post
2 days ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Hypersonic missiles are stirring fears in the Iran-Israel conflict. Here's why
Iran is boasting that it has hypersonic missiles and says it already has begun firing the cutting-edge weapons at Israel. There is no evidence that Iran has unleashed the missiles, and experts are sceptical of the claim. But the use of these fast-moving projectiles could test Israel's vaunted missile-defence system and alter the course of the fighting between the two bitter enemies. Here is a closer look at these advanced weapons. What is a hypersonic missile? Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard claimed Wednesday that it had fired what it said were hypersonic 'Fattah 1' missiles toward Israel. But whether these missiles are hypersonic is a matter of debate.
