Hypersonic Weapon Systems - Interview Nathan Tichenor

Nathan Tichenor is working as a Research Assistant Professor in the department of Aerospace Engineering at Texas A&M University, USA. He has completed his Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from Texas A&M University in 2010. He has done M.S. in Aerospace Engineering from Texas A&M University in 2007. He has done B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from Texas A&M University in the year 2005. He has published many research papers which are appeared in various national and international journals.

Along with the use of hypersonic missiles in the war on Ukraine, China and Russia are further developing & fielding Hypersonic Weapons that the U.S. has not kept pace with. New threats are emerging and near peer adversaries North Korea and Iran have now claimed to have also developed Hypersonic weapon’s capabilities.

With this ongoing global proliferation, the Pentagon is seeking to ramp up the pace of hypersonic weapons testing and research to develop a time critical threat for a national & global response.

We understand Texas A&M is a leader in HW Weapons Testing, can you elaborate on any new game changing breakthrough testing for DoD?

TAMU is developing an ecosystem to support critical technology development for hypersonic systems. From fundamental research to test and evaluation, existing and new facilities - such as the Ballistic, Aero-Optics, and Materials (BAM) Range - will enable accelerated maturation timelines. The BAM Range Phase I (565m long) will be operational in early 2024 and is positioned to serve critical needs for our national security.

We read and hear in multiple media outlets that our adversaries are already using HW weapons in theater. What are your thoughts on this ? Meaning are you convinced HW weapons are at the fully tested stages now or a lot more is needed in the testing phase to provide maximum lethality and stealth?

We are operating in a complex global environment and the United States has made hypersonics systems a priority. On March 1, President Biden invoked the Defense Production Act to expand production of hypersonics - signally widespread support in the federal government to accelerate development and fielding of real systems.

Can you share your thoughts on where we might be with HW weapons technology in the next 10 years given the apparent accelerated testing pace, R&D, and growing collaboration with Industry?

As with any new capability or system, the initial fielded units will always have room for improvement. Over the next decade, new materials will be developed, new sensors will be matured, new approaches will be refined, new capabilities will be realized. Entities such as the George HW Bush Combat Development Complex at Texas A&M will help push the envelope in some of these areas to increase our national security with more robust and capable systems. Industry, academia, national labs, and government agencies all play important roles and must work together to solve this challenge.

WEAPON SYSTEMS

April 25–26, 2023

Hilton Towers Arlington VA • Washington, D.C.

With the proliferation of hypersonic systems increasing with both emerging and near peer adversaries the speed at which the U.S. needs to research, develop and advance U.S. hypersonic weapon technologies is at a critical stage. This summit will address these critical needs in advancement as well as how to use these technologies to further develop & enhance our global posture.

Topics Covered in this Summit Include:

• Defining mission requirements

• Advancements in R&D

• Emerging testing and fielding

• Necessary mission requirements

• The way forward as hypersonic weapons are further adopted into a joint operational doctrine

2ND NATIONAL SUMMIT ON HYPERSONIC

Summit Chairmen

Lt Gen (USAF-ret) Bruce “Orville” Wright President & CEO Air & Space Forces Association

Dr. Tom Karako

Senior Fellow, International Security Program and Director, Missile Defense Project Center for Strategic & International Studies

Keynote Speakers:

Dr. Yvette S. Weber, SES

Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Science, Technology and Engineering

Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Acquisition, Technology and Logistics)

Marcia Holmes

Deputy Director, Hypersonic, Directed Energy, Space and Rapid Acquisition

Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics and Technology), Redstone Arsenal

Dr. Victoria Coleman

Chief Scientist

United States Air Force

Speakers:

Lt. Colonel Gary Goff

USAF, Materiel Leader, Space Layer Resilient Missile Warning, Missile Tracking, (SNR), Space Sensing Directorate U.S. Space Force

Dr. Nathan R. Tichenor

Director of Hypersonic Facilities | Bush Combat Development Complex Texas A&M University System

Dr. Jeffrey C. Boulware

Technical Director

Joint Integrated Air and Missile Defense Organization (JIAMDO)

John Otto

Senior Director, Advanced Hypersonic Weapons, Advanced Technologies Product Line Raytheon Missiles & Defense

Dr. Eric Marineau

Program Officer, Hypersonics, Aerothermodynamics, High Speed Propulsion and Materials

Office of Naval Research (ONR)

Dr. Rodney Bowersox

Director, Texas A&M National Aerothermochemistry and Hypersonics Laboratory

Texas A&M

Tim Wadhams

Senior Research Scientist, and the Vice President CUBRC Aerosciences Sector, CUBRC Aerosciences Group

Dr. Erica Corral

Associate Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, Associate Professor of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, Associate Professor, BIO5 Institute, University Distinguished Scholar in Materials Science and Engineering

University of AZ Tucson

Dr. Marco Panesi

Director of the Center for Hypersonics and Entry Systems Studies (CHESS)

University of IL Urbana-Champaign

Lt Col Jared Thompson, USAF Chief, Advanced Capabilities Integration Branch USSTRATCOM J875

Dr. Kelly Stephani

Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, Kritzer Faculty Fellow, Co-Director, University Consortium for Applied Hypersonics (UCAH) Center for Hypersonics & Entry Systems Studies, (CHESS)

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Dr. Valero Viti

Aerospace & Defense Team Lead Ansys

Christopher Gettinger

Director, Advanced Propulsion and Systems Northrop Grumman Defense Systems

Dr. Luca Maddalena

Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Dept, The University of Texas at Arlington

Director, Aerodynamics Research Center

John “JV” Venable

Senior Research Fellow for Defense Policy, Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy The Heritage Foundation

Dr. Daniel Millman (LtCol (USAF-ret))

Chief Technology Officer

Stratolaunch, LLC

CAPT (USN-ret) David “Dave” McFarland

Senior Director, Integrated Defense Solutions

BAE Systems Intelligence and Security

Geoff Adams

Senior Mission Architect, Missile Defense L3 Harris Space & Airborne Systems

Dr. Scott Morton

Fellow, AIAA and Royal Aeronautical Society

Associate Director of the U.S. DoD High Performance Computing Modernization Program

Dennis Helmich

Director of Integrated Military Systems, Sandia National Laboratories

Mark Glenn

Director, OSD Joint Hypersonic Transition Office Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, (OUSD R&E)

Dave Waterhouse CEO

Hypersonix

Dr. Roberto Furfaro

Deputy Director Space4 Center

Director of UA Space Systems Engineering Laboratory, Department of Systems and Industrial Engineering, and Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering

University of Arizona

Anthony Hazlett

Senior Engineering Leader, Hypersonic Propulsion & Power Systems, Edison Works Emerging Technologies

GE Edison Works