Technology developed for the HAWC demonstrator was used to influence the design of the HACM, a U.S. Air ForceProgram of Record to create a scramjet-powered hypersonic missile it could deploy as an operational weapon.[8]
In December 2021, Raytheon Technologies was awarded a $985 million contract to continue its HACM development.[9]
The contract to develop HACM further was awarded to Raytheon in September 2022.[10] HACM will use a Northrop Grumman scramjet.[11][12] It is designed to be smaller than the AGM-183 ARRW and able to fly along “vastly different trajectories” than the boost-glide ARRW. [13]
The system will give the US military "tactical flexibility to employ fighters to hold high-value, time-sensitive targets at risk, while maintaining bombers for other strategic targets."[5][14][15][16] Following the U.S. Air Force's decision to not pursue procurement of ARRW in March 2023, the HACM became the service's only hypersonic weapon program.[17] Though the USAF confirmed that they would not be purchasing any hypersonic weapons in FY 2024, the budget request for the upcoming fiscal year includes $380 million for R&D on the HACM,[9] followed by a proposed $517 million in FY 2025.[13] The United States hopes to have the missile in operational capacity by FY 2027.[18]
^Audrey Decker (28 Mar 2023) Failed Hypersonic Test Dims Air Force View of Lockheed Missile Air Force R&D funding for ARRW and HACM tests is $150 million and $380 million, respectively. "ARRW and HACM are just two of the U.S. military's hypersonic efforts; in all, the Pentagon is requesting $11 billion for hypersonic R&D in 2024"