# DARPA seeks hypersonic cruise missile with longer range, survivability 2026-08-12T18:53:36+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is seeking to develop a new hypersonic scramjet cruise missile, the Next Generation Hypersonic Cruise Missile (NGHCM), designed to penetrate increasingly sophisticated enemy air-defence systems. DARPA warned that the rapid spread of Integrated Air Defense Systems among peer adversaries could reduce the effectiveness of existing stand-off strike capabilities, prompting the push for a more survivable weapon. According to timesnownews.com, DARPA wants the missile to combine greater range, speed, and altitude with manoeuvrability and a low signature, while remaining affordable for large-scale production. The RFI asks industry to consider testing distances from 250 to 2,000 nautical miles and potential launch platforms including tactical fighters, bombers, and ground-based vertical launch systems. DARPA is also seeking an accelerated development path towards first flight. ## Coverage - timesnownews.com Tags: air defence, DARPA, hypersonic missile, scramjet, US military Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/darpa-seeks-hypersonic-cruise-missile-with-longer-range-survivability/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/darpa-seeks-hypersonic-cruise-missile-with-longer-range-survivability/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.