Raytheon AHM-4 HACM
The U.S. Air Force's HACM (Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile) program began in 2021, when preliminary design contracts for an air-launched scramjet-powered hypersonic cruise missile were awarded to Raytheon, Boeing and Lockheed Martin under a program called SCIFiRE (Southern Cross Integrated Flight Research Experiment, a bilateral effort with the Australian Department of Defense). In September 2022, it was annoucned that Raytheon would continue the development of HACM as the sole source contractor. The contract called for the delivery of prototype missiles for flight tests between 2024 and 2027. At that time, the USAF hoped to field a limited operational capability at the end of this phase.
The HACM leverages the results of DARPA's HAWC (Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept) research effort, where Raytheon successfully flew a hypersonic test article powered by a Northrop-Grumman scramjet. NG will also provide the engine for HACM. The missile is expected to have a range of about 1850 km (1000 nm) at a speed of at least Mach 5.
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| Image: RTX |
| HACM (notional design) |
The HACM program has suffered some delays, reportedly because it took longer than expected to finalize the missile's design. Nevertheless, Raytheon has already received a follow-on contract to continue work after 2027. At the time of this writing, no firm information about how many HACM flight tests, if any, have already been conducted.
In April 2025, HACM was officially designated as AHM-4A. The letter "H" was newly added to the nomenclature system to designate hypersonic missiles, but the significance of the design number 4 is unclear (it is neither in the regular M-for-Missile series, nor does it seem to follow on from 3 earlier hypersonic missiles).
Specifications
No details about the characteristics of the HACM are available.
Main Sources
[1] USAF Press Release: Air Force announces hypersonic missile contract award,
22 September 2022
[2] DefenseScoop, Mikayla Easley: Raytheon to receive $407M for
'enhancements' to Air Force hypersonic missile, January 2024
[3] Air&Space Forces Magazine, John A. Tirpak: Air Force to
Make First of 13 HACM Hypersonic Tests This Fall, June 2024
[4] Air&Space Forces Magazine, John A. Tirpak: HACM Flight
Tests Expected in Fiscal ’26 After Yearlong Delay, April 2025
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Last Updated: 2 February 2026