Leidos, a global leader in technology and defense solutions, has successfully completed two key reviews for the Air Force Research Laboratory's (AFRL) cutting-edge air-breathing hypersonic system, Mayhem. Completion of the two reviews—conceptual design review and system requirements review—marks a significant step forward in advancing the next generation of air-breathing hypersonic technologies. The reviews were executed within the digital engineering environment and showcased the designs and technologies envisioned for high-speed systems such as Mayhem.

A pivotal component in this monumental accomplishment was Leidos' use of a system design agent (SDA) construct. As part of the SDA approach, Leidos brought together a national team of hypersonic experts, fostering collaboration among 15 entities from industry and academia, with each contributing their expertise to the successful execution of task order one.

By leveraging the SDA construct, Leidos and the SDA team, which includes Calspan, Draper, and Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, were able to focus on modular architectures and government data rights, creating an environment that facilitates a best-of-breed technology while cultivating a workforce pipeline through collaboration with the University of Michigan's aerospace department and the U-M x88 Model-Based Systems Engineering lab. The combination of the SDA business model and AFRL's vision for digital engineering laid the groundwork to streamline the acquisition life cycle.

Driven by future capability needs and designed by the top hypersonic experts in the country, the conceptual system design of Mayhem surpasses current capabilities, taking its position in the evolution of hypersonic weapons. AFRL plans to leverage the SDA and Leidos' expertise through the Expendable Hypersonic Multi-Mission Platform Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity contract to further advance hypersonic technology maturation.

“Mayhem represents a leap forward in hypersonic capabilities, and we are thrilled with the outcomes of these reviews,” said Mayhem Program Manager Tiffany Creamer. “Despite temporary funding challenges, we remain committed to pushing the boundaries of innovation and collaboration with AFRL to deliver impactful solutions to our warfighters.”