Rocket Lab Joins U.S. And U.K. Defense Programs To Advance Hypersonic Tech With HASTE

(RTTNews) - Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (RKLB) announced Tuesday that it has been selected to participate in major U.S. and U.K. defense initiatives focused on advancing hypersonic technologies.

The company will provide test launch services using its HASTE (Hypersonic Accelerator Suborbital Test Electron) vehicle, engineering expertise, and other technical support.

Rocket Lab has been selected for the U.S. Air Force's $46 billion EWAAC program, an indefinite delivery-indefinite quantity or IDIQ contract designed to rapidly acquire new defense capabilities through 2031.

The company has also been chosen as a supplier under the U.K. Ministry of Defense's $1.3 billion Hypersonic Technologies & Capability Development Framework or HTCDF.

HASTE, a suborbital variant of Rocket Lab's proven Electron launch vehicle, is designed to deploy hypersonic test payloads at speeds over 7.5 km/s.

It features a modified upper stage for hypersonic testing and supports a payload capacity of up to 700 kg. Rocket Lab has already conducted three successful HASTE missions for the U.S. Department of Defense, including two launches just 21 days apart.

"We're proud to support the national security efforts of both the U.S. and the U.K.," said Rocket Lab CEO Sir Peter Beck.

He further added, "With HASTE, we offer an affordable and agile commercial platform for advancing hypersonic technologies at a pace and price that meets mission needs."

The selection positions Rocket Lab to compete for task orders under both programs, further solidifying its role as a leading commercial partner in the development of next-generation aerospace defense technologies.

Currently, RKLB is trading at $20.92 up by 9.51 percent on the Nasdaq.