General Atomics’ Self-Destruct Units Demonstrated during Hypersonic Rocket Test Flight

Autonomous Flight Termination Units (AFTUs) developed by General Atomics were carried onboard two sounding rockets launched to assess potential new capabilities for the Pentagon's hypersonic glide vehicle projects.

The company said the AFTUs flown on two of three sounding rockets “were successfully demonstrated and performed as expected” during a High Operational Tempo for Hypersonics test flight campaign sponsored by the Navy Strategic Systems Programs and Army Hypersonic Program Office on October 20, 2021, at Wallops Island, VA.

The AFTUs help assure missile flight safety and were part of a test campaign to demonstrate technologies to advance the development of the Navy’s Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) and the Army’s Long Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) offensive hypersonic strike capability.

These self-destruct units offer greater flexibility to assure flight safety for missiles launched for space applications or military weapons testing. Integrated aboard a missile, the AFTU takes a pre-launch defined mission profile and compares it with what the launched missile experiences as it flies. If the flight profile rules or boundaries are violated during flight, the AFTU will command the vehicle to destruct. The AFTU’s compact, lightweight design reduces the size, weight, and power requirements aboard the test vehicle.

“The missile and space flight industry must provide a means of preventing a launch or aeronautical vehicle and its hazards, including any payload hazards, from reaching any populated or other protected area in the event of a vehicle failure,” stated Scott Forney, president of GA-EMS. “Our AFTUs provide the flexibility to operate independently or can be paired to operate together to share data, with the ability to continue the flight should one fail, thus increasing mission assurance.”