Overview
- Hermeus announced the Ramjet‑X concept on Wednesday as an expendable ramjet test vehicle designed to be carried and released in flight by its Quarterhorse drone.
- The company says Quarterhorse will release Ramjet‑X at about Mach 3 so the ramjet can ignite, climb to roughly 100,000 feet, and cruise near Mach 4 for tens of minutes.
- Hermeus is already testing the engine at its HEAT facility in Jacksonville and developing high‑temperature structures in El Segundo, but the vehicle has not flown and integrated flight testing is planned for 2027.
- The firm is marketing Ramjet‑X as a commercial “Flight Test as a Service” that would carry customer payloads such as sensors, materials, autonomy software, and propulsion hardware for high‑speed experiments.
- Key performance and cost details remain undisclosed, observers note possible dual‑use implications, and Quarterhorse has demonstrated supersonic flight to Mach 1.21 while higher‑speed carrier variants are under development.