# Hypersonic Military Jets The Air Force X-51 WaveRider Can Travel Five Times the Speed of Sound By Meghan Young | Published 2015-06-03 | Autos Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/x51-waverider References: [theverge](http://www.theverge.com/2015/6/2/8708255/x-51-waverider-mach-5-2023) & [military](http://www.military.com/daily-news/2015/06/01/chief-scientist-air-force-working-on-new-hypersonic-air-vehicle.html) Speed is on many people's brains these days, but the X-51 WaveRider surpasses all expectations. While some people simply want faster Internet connections, it appears that the Air Force has their goals set a little bit higher. A couple of years ago, it successfully tested the X-51 WaveRider -- an aircraft capable of reaching Mach 5.1 or, in other words, more than five times the speed of sound. Today, it hopes to improve the X-51 WaveRider by designing it to "operate at the kind of temperatures you have when you are going at hypersonic speeds," the Air Force reveals. The vehicle is hoped to be built and ready by 2023, but as [The Verge](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/verge-ts-pro-motorcycle) points out, that is a lofty goal. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 5.5/10 - Popularity: 77% | Activity: 80% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Autos](https://www.trendhunter.com/autos) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Hypersonic Jet Technology:** Developing a more efficient hypersonic jet technology with a focus on operational temperature and speed capabilities. - **Military Aerospace Engineering:** Revolutionizing the field of military aerospace engineering by creating new design and structural innovations for hypersonic jets. - **Advanced Weapons Development:** Advancing the development of weapons and tactical capabilities for the military using hypersonic jet technology. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Defense:** Modernizing defense systems with the latest advancements in hypersonic jet technology. - **Aerospace:** Introducing cutting-edge aerospace advancements through the development of hypersonic jets. - **Engineering:** Developing hypersonic jets utilizing innovative engineering techniques and revolutionary design structures. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Futuristic Missile Interceptors](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/missile-interceptor.md) - [Hypersonic Launch Vehicles](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/launch-vehicle.md) - [Heavy-Duty Hybrid Drones](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hybrid-drones.md) - [Powerfully Propelled VTOL Drones](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/vtol-drone.md) - [Blended-Wing Fighters](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/stavatti-aerospace-sm39-razor.md) - [Ultra-Fast One-Person Electric Vehicles](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/airspeeder-mk4.md) - [Ultra-Fast Private Jets](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/global-8000.md) - [Road-Legal Flying Vehicles](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/switchblade-1.md) - [Stealthy Fantasy-Themed Vehicles](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/f117-4wd-covenant.md)