The Navy’s TORCH Program Looks to Detect Hypersonic Missiles

The Navy is looking for a “unique” It wants to prototype the sensor and help the sea service defend itself against hypersonic weaponry.

The aim of the Tip-Off Optical Reconnaissance-Sensor for Counter-Hypersonics (TORCH) program is to “develop and demonstrate critical elements of advanced optical system design for the detection, identification, and tracking of hypersonic cruise missiles to provide early cueing of fixed-site and ship self-defense systems in a tiered fixed and mobile network utilizing both unmanned and manned platform concepts,” According to a pre-release, a Small Business Innovation Research broad agent announcement is due to be published Wednesday.

The initiative comes amid Pentagon concerns about Chinese and Russian hypersonic capabilities, and the United States’ pursuit of its own offensive hypersonic Weapons. These types of missiles, which can fly faster that Mach 5, are highly sought-after by the United States as well as other major powers due to their maneuverability against enemy air defences and ability to quickly attack time-sensitive targets.

“Hypersonic weapons represent a new and disruptive threat to Armed Forces worldwide. The operational attributes of this class of vehicle present a unique detection and defense problem. There is a need for advanced sensing to support initial detection (“tipoff”Targeting and guidance for defense systems, as well as the ability to approach a target area from multiple directions (hypersonic weapons). A unique attribute of hypersonic weapons is the ability to maneuver and approach a target area from many potential directions, which vastly complicates the sensing problem by increasing the required search volume and requiring increased sensing resources,” the pre-release noted.

The Defense Department is developing a distributed, early warning sensing architecture to alert U.S. forces of incoming threats.

This architecture must not only include a passive sensor capable of target classification, but also a cost-effective and “covert” Pre-release states that the platform will allow communication to be relayed through multiple channels.

The envisioned “unique” According to the notice, optical sensors will help in measurement and signature intelligence.

Phase 1 of the TORCH Program will identify and define specific configurations; and determine sensor carrying requirements. “develop the strategy and design of integration and scale of the autonomous platform.”

It will also define the requirements for software and observation behavior. “to allow cooperative sensor array technology.”

Phase two will see the development of a prototype that can identify, track and track hypersonic vehicles. “in an idealized Navy data collection.”

It will also include demonstrations of the tech on unmanned platforms; ground- or ocean-based trials for data collection related features identification performance, operational agility and precision; and “limited sea trial test data analysis of airborne objects.”

Phase three is for final testing and performance. “necessary integration and transition for use in counter-hypersonic surveillance and monitoring operations with appropriate current platforms and agencies and future combat systems under development.”

The next BAA will close March 8.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Missile Defense Agency is also working on new sensors and other systems to improve the military’s ability to defeat hypersonic missiles.

Speaking at ASNE’s Combat Systems Symposium last week, MDA Director Vice Adm. Jon Hill noted that such weapons threaten to “out-fly our sensor architecture.”

“We’re going to continue to build out the hypersonic tracking capability across all radars. So we were incorporating that in all land-based radars, [and] we’re working with the Navy to incorporate them within the SPY family of radars. So that’s sort of that land based and sea-based kind of view,” He spoke to DefenseScoop.

Two hypersonic ballistic tracking sensors will be deployed by the agency. “That is fire control capability for the hypersonic threat and gives us that global look. So we’re going to put two of those up later this year. So that’s kind of your space piece,” He said.

All of these tracking capabilities will be integrated into the command and control battle management network.

MDA also works on interceptor technology to take down hypersonic missiles.

“We are going to be deploying the next increment and testing out the next increment for sea-based terminal, which is the nation’s first hypersonic hard kill that exists on destroyers that today protect the aircraft carrier. And then we’ll be transitioning the technology development phase for the glide phase interceptor, which is that upper tier version to kill it in glide … So that’s kind of a summary of where we are from a detect, control, engage perspective,” DefenseScoop was informed by Hill.