French state defense research agency Onera is hoping its cutting-edge project will result in a hypersonic fighter jet. The organization wants to achieve its goals by 2050.

What is known

The project is called Espadon, which translates as “Swordfish” (Swordwish). It has received approximately $5.4 billion in funding. René Mathurin, director of defense research at Onera, said the program’s research focuses on payloads, weapons systems, propulsion and aerodynamics.

The Espandon model has already been tested in a wind tunnel. Onera brought a scaled-down hypersonic aircraft to the Paris Air Show. Rene Mathurin noted that in the coming decades, their development will not be able to reach hypersonic speeds (Mach 5 | 6174 km / h).

Source: Breaking Defense