- Capability group
- Space Technologies
- Domain
- Critical Technology · Hard Power
- Identifier
- factbase.org/cap/BT6M3JP60W
- Reference
- Scramjet Wikipedia
Papers
1.6k
2020–2024
Paper growth
+22%
2020–24 on 2015–19
Patent families
6.2k
2020–2024
Filed abroad
14%
families in more than one office
In the framework
What the capability covers and what it leaves to others, and the indicators it will be measured by.
Bounds
Covers propulsion technology across regimes, absorbing the underwater propulsion node; hypersonic weapons and their defeat belong to National Security's strike and shield capabilities, and engine manufacture at scale to Strategic Infrastructure and the economic domains.
Lineage
Relocated in v0.1 from the split group (formerly Advanced aircraft engines (including hypersonics)) at the same level, carrying its identifier, and absorbing Air-independent propulsion (retired): propulsion is one technology capacity across regimes, and the platform applications register elsewhere.
Indicators
- research publication share in propulsion and hypersonicsResearch
- hypersonic flight tests conductedPending
- advanced engine programmes in developmentPending
Research
Papers classified to the capability, by year and by the nation of their authors' institutions, 2020–2024. Read from the v0.0 research topics Advanced aircraft engines (including hypersonics) and Air-independent propulsion.
Papers by year
The five leading nations, papers by year
Share of papers, 2020–2024
Of papers with a known author nation; 32% have none and are left out.
- 1China23.8%287 papers
- 2United States18.0%217 papers
- 3Germany7.8%94 papers
- 4India6.5%78 papers
- 5United Kingdom5.9%71 papers
- 6Italy5.1%62 papers
- 7Brazil2.2%27 papers
- 8Canada2.2%26 papers
- 9Russia2.2%26 papers
- 10France2.1%25 papers
Leading institutions, 2020–2024
By fractional count: each paper divided among its authors' institutions.
- 1Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e. V. (DLR)29fractional papers
- 2Northwestern Polytechnical University26fractional papers
- 3Beihang University26fractional papers
- 4Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics22fractional papers
- 5Cranfield University18fractional papers
- 6National University of Defense Technology17fractional papers
- 7Georgia Institute of Technology16fractional papers
- 8Beijing Institute of Technology11fractional papers
- 9University of Michigan–Ann Arbor9fractional papers
- 10Polytechnic University of Turin8fractional papers
Patents
Patent families by the nation of origin of their applicants and their earliest priority year, from the CPC and IPC classes the capability is read from. 2025 onwards is incomplete: families are published 18 months after priority.
Families by priority year
The five leading origins, families by year
1,305 applicants filed here in 2015–2024; the five largest held 13% of families (HHI 54 of 10,000: unconcentrated).
Share of families by origin, 2020–2024
- 1China71.4%4,420 families
- 2United States10.6%653 families
- 3South Korea4.3%264 families
- 4Japan2.1%133 families
- 5Russia2.0%122 families
- 6Germany1.9%117 families
- 7France1.8%109 families
- 8United Kingdom1.0%63 families
- 9Italy0.5%30 families
- 10Canada0.5%30 families
Applicants filing most internationally, 2015–2024
Families filed in more than one office, by applicant as the offices name them.
- 1ARIANEGROUP SAS102international families
- 2GEN ELECTRIC70international families
- 3BOEING CO66international families
- 4RAYTHEON CO60international families
- 5AEROJET ROCKETDYNE INC49international families
- 6ARIANEGROUP GMBH49international families
- 7AIRBUS SAFRAN LAUNCHERS SAS29international families
- 8MITSUBISHI HEAVY IND LTD28international families
- 9HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORP25international families
- 10DEUTSCH ZENTR LUFT & RAUMFAHRT24international families
Classification read
- F02K9/00 Rocket engines · 54.2k documents
- F02K7/00 Ramjets, scramjets and pulse jets · 10.2k documents
- F23R7/00 Detonation and pulsed combustion chambers · 1.7k documents
- F03H1/00 Plasma and ion thrusters · 9.3k documents
- B64G1/40 Spacecraft propulsion systems · 19.1k documents
- B64C30/00 Supersonic and hypersonic aircraft · 2.5k documents
Shares inventions with
Capabilities whose classes the same families also fall in, by overlap (Jaccard).
- Space Launch & Reusable Systems917 families · 0.441
- Satellite & Constellation Technologies487 families · 0.045
- Energetic Materials56 families · 0.023
Companies
50 companies in this capability, across 8 regions. The leading 12:
- 1RTXPratt & Whitney builds the F135 and adaptive-cycle engine work, and Raytheon is prime with Northrop Grumman on the scramjet-powered Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM).Design
- 2GE AerospaceWorld's largest jet engine maker; it developed the XA100 adaptive-cycle engine, the RISE open-fan programme and rotating detonation and dual-mode ramjet hypersonic propulsion.Design
- 3L3Harris TechnologiesIts Aerojet Rocketdyne unit (acquired 2023) makes RS-25 and RL10 rocket engines and solid rocket motors, and built the SJY61 scramjet that flew on the X-51A WaveRider.Manufacture
- 4Lockheed MartinPrime contractor on US hypersonic programmes including ARRW, Conventional Prompt Strike/LRHW glide bodies, and Skunk Works' high-speed aircraft research.Integration
- 5Northrop GrummanLeading US solid rocket motor producer and provider of the scramjet engine for the HACM programme, plus the advanced air-breathing propulsion behind its hypersonic work.Manufacture
- 6China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC)China's main space and missile conglomerate; its Academy of Aerospace Propulsion Technology develops the YF-series liquid rocket engines, and its academies build hypersonic glide vehicles.Design
- 7SafranCo-maker with GE of the CFM LEAP, maker of the Rafale's M88, lead on the RISE open-rotor demonstrator, and co-owner of ArianeGroup.Design
- 8SpaceXBuilds the Merlin engine and the full-flow staged-combustion methane Raptor, the highest-production advanced rocket engines in the world.Manufacture
- 9Rolls-RoyceMajor gas-turbine maker (Trent, EJ200 partner, UltraFan demonstrator) that leads the UK engine work for the GCAP/Tempest sixth-generation fighter.Design
- 10China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC)State missile maker whose academies develop ramjet and scramjet cruise missiles, hypersonic systems and solid rocket propulsion for China.Design
- 11Aero Engine Corporation of China (AECC)China's consolidated military and civil aero-engine group, which develops the WS-10, WS-15 and CJ-1000 turbofans and combined-cycle engine research.Design
- 12ArianeGroupAirbus-Safran joint venture that builds the Vulcain 2.1 and Vinci engines for Ariane 6 and the reusable methalox Prometheus, and is the top international patent applicant in this capability.Manufacture