Special Programs Announcement for Office of Naval Research Opportunity: Enabling Technologies for Hypersonic Boost-Glide Vehicles

The Flight Advancement of Structures for Hypersonics (FLASH) Innovative Naval Prototype (INP) program integrates advanced hypersonic vehicle technologies that will demonstrate the viability of the concept to be fielded as a surface-launched, tactical range, hypersonic strike capability. FLASH will design, develop, manufacture and flight test a number of prototype vehicles to inform decisions concerning the FLASH capability. FLASH will address vehicle structural, aerodynamic and thermal performance, vehicle controllability and affordability related to its technologies and assess compatibility with the Vertical Launch System (VLS) and Virginia Payload Module (VPM). The FLASH concept, which leverages prior Applied Research, was selected by Navy Leadership as an INP in FY 2026 due to promising technology maturation.

A number of precursor, subscale ground and flight test efforts are planned to advise full-scale FLASH vehicle demonstrations. In support of this effort, the program office seeks to gather technical, performance, scalability, risk reduction options, technology/material readiness level (TRL/MRL), availability and cost information to include (technical on-site/financial) participation interest from other government and industry partners in a number of Critical Enabling Technology (CET) areas and engineering thrust categories to include:

1. High TRL/Flight Qualified Command and Control Systems and System Components
2. High Temperature Structures, Thermal Protection Systems, Assemblies and Components
3. Scaled Design Verification and Flight Test Demonstration Capabilities
4. Multidisciplinary Design, Analysis and Optimization (MDAO)

Additional performance related mission requirements that will likely impact this technology acquisition effort will be accessible via a CUI and/or classified addendum. Requests for access to the addendum should be directed to ONR Code 543 with the following contact information and this specific BAA call number. Eligible attendees of the planned Industry day will also be assisted in accessing the information as appropriate.

The primary focus of the FLASH program is to demonstrate a tactically relevant range, low cost, hypersonic capability via advanced aerodynamics, control techniques and resulting relaxed reliance on exquisite materials. Therefore, existing compatible and the minimum necessary onboard mission systems will be sought for vehicle integration to enable negligible GNC flight test risk. This demonstration philosophy allows for the concentrated development efforts of the program to laser-focus on the extremely promising aero and aerothermodynamic concepts developed in previous applied research efforts that are of highest risk, highest interest and highest payoff to the ONR and the war fighter.