Potential Military Roles for Supersonic Transports
Updated January 13, 2022
Potential Military Roles for Supersonic Transports
A new generation of supersonic (faster than the speed of
investigate using the Overture for surveillance,
sound in level flight, also called Mach 1) passenger aircraft
reconnaissance, special forces deployment, and other roles.
is now under development. Using “low-boom” technology
developed through NASA research to minimize sound
Figure 1. Boom Overture
signatures on the ground, advanced engines, and alternative
Artist’s Rendering
fuel concepts, these new supersonic transports (SSTs)
advertise the ability to fly over populated areas with
minimal disruption, cruise more economically, and avoid
some of the potential negative environmental effects of
carbon-based fuels in high-altitude flight.
These new aircraft have attracted interest and some
investment from the U.S. military, and have on occasion
been proposed for military missions by their developers.
The potential roles differ with the size and capabilities of
Source: Boom Supersonic.
each aircraft.
Boom was founded and is run by Blake Scholl, a former
History
software engineer. It has raised backing primarily from
Silicon Valley venture funds and is partnering with Rolls-
Aircraft first went supersonic in 1947. Since then, two
Royce to develop engine concepts.
supersonic transport aircraft (SSTs) served in commercial
airlines. The Soviet Tupolev Tu-144 flew from 1968 to
Exosonic
1999, although it was only in commercial service (with
Aeroflot) for three years. The Anglo-French Concorde flew
Exosonic, of Los Angeles, is designing a 70-passenger,
from 1969 to 2003, most of that time in service with British
Mach 1.8 low-boom airliner with a 5,700-mile range. CEO
Airways and Air France.
Norris Tie comes from the aerospace engineering world.
The company has yet to announce a timeline for its aircraft,
Due to the technology of their time, those SSTs were
although a subscale demonstrator is reportedly slated for
2025.
hampered by high operational costs (particularly for fuel)
and operational restrictions resulting from many countries’
Figure 2. Exosonic Airliner
prohibitions against sonic booms over land. (A sonic boom
results when the shock wave created by a supersonic
Artist’s Rendering
aircraft touches the ground, and is heard as a sharp, loud
report resembling an explosion.) These restrictions
relegated earlier SSTs to trans-oceanic service, excluding
them from a number of potentially profitable routes.
Current Principal Developers
Two companies are leading the development of new SSTs,
with a few others newer to the field, and one previous
leader having now shut down. The three main firms are at
Source: Exosonic.
different stages in the process, and targeting somewhat
different markets.
Aerion
Boom Supersonic
Although having led in development of a new-generation
low-boom SST, Aerion, of Melbourne, FL, ceased
Denver-based Boom is developing the Overture, a 65- to
operations in May 2021, having completed wind tunnel
88-passenger airliner designed for Mach 2.2 with a range of
tests of its AS2, intended as an 8- to 10-passenger business
5,100 miles. The company expects to fly a one-third-scale
jet with a 5,400-mile range at a top speed of Mach 1.4. The
demonstrator this year. Projected to enter service in 2029,
three-engine jet was anticipated to enter service in 2027 at a
the Overture is targeted to cost $200 million for the basic
target price of $120 million. The company was founded by
aircraft.
entrepreneur Robert Bass and was run by Tom Vice,
formerly head of Northrop Grumman Aeronautics. Boeing
In January 2022, Boom announced receipt of an Air Force
held a stake in the company, and General Electric had been
contract worth up to $60 million over three years to
designing the AS2’s engines.
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Potential Military Roles for Supersonic Transports
Figure 3. Aerion AS2
Continuity of Operations/Continuity
Artist’s Rendering
of Government
Rapid relocation of national leaders in time of crisis could
enable their presence at command posts and reduce the
impact of interrupted or degraded communications
networks.
Special Operations
Deploying small teams to trouble spots quickly for missions
like hostage rescue or embassy defense has been cited as a
role where increased speed can be decisive. (It is less clear
how such a deployment could be kept covert if the teams
are using an aircraft not in common service around the
Source: Aerion.
world.)
Organizations at earlier stages of development include
Nuclear Security
Virgin Galactic, a private space company, which has
Using high-speed aircraft to transport warheads for nuclear
teamed with Rolls-Royce to study a 9- to 19-passenger,
weapons to forward units could allow those warheads to be
Mach 3 jet;
stored in the United States with high security, then sent
forward only when they might be needed—or when
Boston-based Spike Aerospace, which is proposing a
national commanders wanted to send a signal of possible
12- to 18-passenger low-boom aircraft aimed at Mach
consequences to an aggressor and/or reassure allies.
1.6;
Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance
Hermeus, of Atlanta, which proposes a Mach 5, or
hypersonic, aircraft. Its capacity and schedule are not
Adaptation of a supersonic platform that flies at very high
altitude could give U.S. forces highly responsive, easily
yet announced. However, on August 5, 2021, the U.S.
redirected intelligence platforms of a sort absent from the
Air Force, in cooperation with some private venture
inventory since the retirement of the SR-71.
capital firms, announced a three-year, $60 million
contract with Hermeus to further advance its
Humanitarian Relief
development.
In a number of scenarios, rapid dispatch of relief supplies,
Possible Military Uses
medical teams, and/or other specialists to areas suffering
from natural disasters, virus outbreaks, or other events
The U.S. military already has supersonic fighters and
could make a positive difference in outcomes.
bombers. Some other military missions could potentially
benefit from higher-speed travel for people and/or small
Rapid Reinforcement
loads of cargo, including but not limited to the following:
Moving additional troops to areas under siege or suffering
Executive Transport
from surprise attack could enhance commanders’ options
and allow the United States to multiply force on short
In September, 2020, the Air Force Research Lab awarded
notice at times and places of its choosing.
contracts to Boom (reportedly $2 million) and Exosonic ($1
million) to explore the use of their aircraft for executive
Medical Evacuation
transport. This followed an earlier $1.5 million contract
with Hermeus for the same purpose.
Moving wounded personnel to high-level care facilities in
roughly half the time of current airlifters could significantly
increase the chances of survival.
The Air Force executive transport fleet currently includes a
wide range of aircraft used for moving senior commanders,
Crew Replacement
congressional delegations, and government officials,
Dispatching relief crews for ships or submarines stricken by
including the President. Those aircraft are derivatives of
existing commercial airliners and business jets.
illness could minimize downtime and restore U.S. sea
presence in vital areas.
Adding speed to personnel transport offers several potential
benefits. Getting senior diplomats to meetings in times of
A basic configuration could allow a number of these
missions to be carried out by the same aircraft. Having to
crisis could help defuse tensions. Moving senior officials to
reconfigure the aircraft for specialized missions could
remote meetings or site visits in ways that minimize time
away from their principal duty station could allow them to
reduce the time advantage a supersonic aircraft would have
work more efficiently.
over those currently in the fleet.
Jeremiah Gertler, Specialist in Military Aviation
IF11778
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Potential Military Roles for Supersonic Transports
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