The Joint Hypersonics Transition Office (JHTO) has issued six contracts to accelerate the development of advanced hypersonic technologies designed to operate at speeds exceeding Mach 5.
Working in collaboration with the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC), JHTO selected Leidos, GoHypersonic, Special Aerospace Services, Purdue Applied Research Institute, Halo Engines, and Kratos Defense & Security Solutions under the Strategic & Spectrum Missions Advanced Resilient Trusted Systems (S²MARTS) program.
The contracts were awarded through the S²MARTS Other Transaction Agreement (OTA), a flexible acquisition tool that enables the Department of Defense to collaborate rapidly with industry and academia for research, prototyping, and development beyond the limits of traditional procurement processes.
The program addresses the severe technical demands of hypersonic flight, including extreme thermal loads, high-speed maneuverability, and precision engagement over long distances. Each recipient will design and validate subsystem technologies covering pilot-to-target integration, aerodynamic optimization, propulsion systems, mission planning, and overall platform performance. The work will integrate digital modeling, simulation, and both ground-based and flight testing.
Broader OTA-Driven Hypersonics Push
The S²MARTS OTA reflects the Pentagon’s wider effort to accelerate emerging technology programs through streamlined contracting pathways.
In 2019, Dynetics secured a $351.6 million OTA to produce prototype Common Hypersonic Glide Body systems. More recently, in September 2025, Lockheed Martin received a $26 million OTA to prototype a Next Generation Command and Control system. That same year, Anduril Industries was awarded a $99.6 million OTA for related advanced defense initiatives.
