RAACM is roughly the size of a 500lb class MK-82 or GBU-38, and features a deployable wing, turbojet engine, guidance system, and lethal payload. It can be launched from any aircraft compatible with the GBU-38.
Partnership Driving the RAACM Development
The partnership between CoAspire and Divergent helped speed up the development of this new product.
The companies developed a programme roadmap requiring delivery of first fuselages, wings, and fins from Divergent within 10 weeks, with fully integrated test rounds entering ground testing within 14 weeks.
Leveraging Digital Tools for Speed
To deliver fuselages at speed, Divergent used in-house digital tools. The team then used CoAspire's cruise missile design and developed a design that optimised for fuel tank capacity while meeting all structural performance requirements.
Transition to Additive Manufacturing
The Divergent team transitioned from digital design to additive manufacturing and automated assembly, with manufacturing instructions generated from the designs assigned to the company's software-defined manufacturing assets.
Divergent Adaptive Production System (DAPS)
The companies utilised the Divergent Adaptive Production System (DAPS), an end-to-end engineering design and manufacturing system leveraging AI-driven design to enable structures development and manufacturing.
RAACM: A Case Study in Rapid Development
"Our strength is this next-generation capability to digitally engineer and manufacture to deliver first-time-right, production-ready hardware within 10 weeks. RAACM is a case study in what's possible when adaptability is built into every phase of development," said Lukas Czinger, president & CEO of Divergent.
CoAspire's Role in RAACM Flight-Test Success
Doug Denneny, founder & CEO of CoAspire, said: "Divergent has rewritten the rules of development speed for complex flight vehicles. The flexibility that Divergent has provided on such a tight schedule was key to enabling our flight-test and program success."
Adaptability Across Platforms
Under contract with the Air Force, RAACM is designed to be adaptable and rapidly deployable across air, land, and sea platforms.
