Raytheon $985 million hypersonic award puts them far ahead in contracting race

By Mike Stone

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The Pentagon on Thursday said it awarded Raytheon Technologies a $985 million dollar contract to develop prototypes for a hypersonic attack cruise missile, putting the firm well ahead of rivals in the race to become lead developer of the strategic weapons.

Raytheon beat out Boeing and Lockheed Martin to continue its development of the weapon. The award is a significant advance in the development of hypersonic weapons for the United States, and puts Raytheon in an early lead for a series of related, and high-value, contract awards in the years ahead.

Hypersonic weapons travel in the upper atmosphere at speeds of about 6,200 km per hour (3,853 mph), more than five times the speed of sound.