Leidos receives $334M Air Force hypersonics contract

Reston-based Leidos Inc. will help the Air Force develop its Mayhem hypersonic system under a $334 million contract, the Fortune 500 contractor announced Friday.

Under the contract, Leidos will assist the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory in developing the Expendable Hypersonic Multi-mission ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) and Strike Program, known as Mayhem. The system will use a scramjet engine to generate thrust to propel the vehicle at speeds greater than Mach 5. Leidos is expected to design and develop a large-class version that surpasses current air-breathing systems in range and payload capacity using digital engineering to ensure the design efforts help future development and transition.

Leidos has received an initial $24 million task order to conduct reviews of systems requirements and conceptual design.

“To deliver the next generation of air-breathing hypersonic system, we’ll leverage our years of investment, knowledge and success in the hypersonic field,” Leidos’ Dynetics President Steve Cook said in a statement. “Our team is prepared to undertake this vital mission for our nation.”

Leidos has put together a team that includes Newport News-based Calspan Systems Corp., Massachusetts-based engineering nonprofit Draper and San Diego-based technology company Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Inc., to serve as the system design agent. The group will develop partnerships with government, industry and academia to deliver research and development needed to produce prototypes. Leidos will also lead engineering and programming to transition Mayhem from idea to operation.

“The team assembled by Leidos marries exceptional experience with innovation,” Mayhem program manager Ryan Leo said in a statement. “We’re working with the nation’s top solution providers in hypersonic vehicle and propulsion technologies. We’re proud to contribute to this important national security mission.”

Work will be performed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio and other potential testing sites and is expected to be completed by Oct. 15, 2028, the Pentagon said in an award announcement Friday.

In November, Arlington-based Raytheon Technologies Corp. received a $985 billion contract to continue developing the Air Force’s new hypersonic cruise missile weapon. The U.S. has been scrambling to catch up with adversaries China and Russia in the race to develop hypersonic capabilities.