The German Armed Forces' procurement office (BAAINBw) has signed a contract for the creation of a "reusable hypersonic aircraft" with two stages, to be carried out by the startup company POLARIS Raumflugzeuge based in Bremen, Germany.
The future hypersonic vehicle for the Bundeswehr is expected to feature two stages and will even be capable of launching satellites into space. This was reported by the Hartpunkt portal.
The terms of the contract and project details are outlined in general terms. POLARIS Raumflugzeuge is tasked not only with designing the hypersonic vehicle but also with conducting the first tests of a prototype "in metal" as early as 2028, utilizing a rocket booster for the first stage and achieving flight speeds exceeding 5 Mach.
To develop the necessary technological solutions, the company is using "flying test stands," the largest of which currently has a fuselage length of 5 meters and a weight of 240 kilograms. This year, a "flying test stand" with a launch weight of up to 2 tons and a fuselage length of up to 8 meters is expected to be launched.
Interestingly, even in its final form, the future "reusable hypersonic vehicle" is intended primarily for research purposes, and will serve as a "secondary function" for launching satellites into space.
At this moment, it remains undisclosed whether the future aircraft for the Bundeswehr will be manned or if it is more about a hypersonic drone similar to those currently being developed by China.
The render from POLARIS Raumflugzeuge only broadly outlines the design of the future aircraft. However, it is quite possible that more specific sketches of the hypersonic plane for the Bundeswehr will be defined closer to the time of testing the first prototype, which is expected around 2028.
However, the mere fact of the order from the German military for the creation of an aircraft capable of hypersonic flight, envisioned as a platform for launching satellites into space, is noteworthy. This could potentially provide Germany with greater capabilities for independent space reconnaissance.
Previously, Defense Express reported that in November 2024, China showcased the GDF-600 hypersonic "container" project with a payload of 1200 kg, as well as information about the "hypersonic" drone WZ-8 in China which is a copy of the Soviet Tu-16.
