US plans 6,000mph bomber to hit rogue regimes from edge of space

(EXCERPT) Peter Almond

THE Pentagon is drawing up plans for a “hypersonic” bomber able to
travel more than 10,000 miles around the globe in about two hours.

The Hypersonic Cruise Vehicle (HCV) is designed to fly at a top speed
of almost 6,000mph directly from America to neutralise regimes
threatening to use weapons of mass destruction. It would avoid the
need to rely on forward airbases in unreliable third countries.

Current stealth bombers, such as the B-2, which played a leading role
in the Iraq war, only fly at about 650mph, just below the speed of
sound.

Last week representatives of companies including Boeing and Britain’s
BAE Systems met Pentagon officials in Washington to discuss the plan,
codenamed Project Falcon (Force Application and Launch from the
Continental US). It has been given impetus by the difficulties of
persuading countries such as Saudi Arabia and Turkey to act as bases
for US aircraft in the war on Iraq.

At present, heavy bomber crews have to fly their B-52 or B-2 aircraft
i...

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