The Department of Defense has concluded the Hypersonic Accelerated Manufactured Prototype Demonstration (Hyper-AMPD!) prize challenge, awarding $1 million to Castelion Corporation in El Segundo, California, and Specter Aerospace in Cambridge, Massachusetts. These awards recognize novel concepts for the rapid delivery of hypersonic prototypes.

The initiative was sponsored by the Joint Hypersonics Transition Office (JHTO) within the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Science and Technology. Hyper-AMPD! aims to explore ideas and options that could reduce costs associated with hypersonic weapons, which provide significant advantages over traditional systems. The project was divided into two phases: initially challenging industry participants to devise a solution for delivering a hypersonic system prototype promptly, followed by proposing a scalable manufacturing path.

During Phase I, JHTO selected five awardees based on white papers that demonstrated promising concepts capable of integrating efficiently with existing Department of Defense platforms. This phase awarded a total of $500,000. In Phase II, these teams were invited to complete feasibility studies on their low-cost concepts. Ultimately, two winners were chosen for final awards of $250,000 each.

"The Hyper-AMPD! Challenge succeeded in reaching across the nation to draw participation from industry's best and brightest, with over 40 companies competing to deliver feasible, near-term concepts that address weapon system affordability," said JHTO Director Mark Glenn.

"We received several innovative and novel approaches from industry, including multiple non-traditional defense contractors, which made selecting the winners a difficult job, especially for the second phase of the challenge," Glenn added. "We want to thank everyone who participated in this challenge for sharing their ideas and concepts to support our warfighters."