AFWERX SBIR/STTR Program Executes Mission At Supersonic Speeds

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio — The Department of the Air Force (DAF) procures bombers, cargo planes, drones, fighter jets and other aircraft warfighters need to deter conflict and win decisively. The department also acquires, maintains and operates aircraft used to move government and military leaders. Acquiring executive aircraft capable of supersonic speeds could halve travel time, allowing U.S. leaders to meet with foreign counterparts more often.

Boom Supersonic is developing Overture, a commercial airliner capable of carrying 80 passengers at Mach 1.7. On Jan. 28, 2025, Boom’s demonstrator aircraft, the XB-1, broke the sound barrier during a test flight near Mojave, California. The jet climbed above 35,000 feet and accelerated above Mach 1. The flight was the first time an independently developed aircraft flew supersonically, proving the company’s technology.

The XB-1 flight proved key technologies, including augmented reality vision systems, carbon-fiber composite materials, digitally-optimized aerodynamics and supersonic inlets, can be used in Overture. The test jet’s inaugural flight was in March 2024. It completed 11 test flights before this year’s flight.

AFWERX began working with Boom several years ago. In September 2020, it awarded Boom a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract to investigate Overture for executive airlift. The following year, AFWERX awarded Boom a three-year, $60 million Strategic Funding Contract (STRATFI) contract to explore Overture for Air Force executive airlift. This included $15 million in SBIR funding. Pacific Air Forces and the Presidential and Executive Airpower Directorate provided $15 million, while private investors contributed $30 million. Boom expects Overture flight testing to begin in 2026, with passenger flights planned for 2029.

Boom has also partnered with Northrop Grumman Corp. to provide the government with aircraft for special missions, including surveillance, reconnaissance, command and control, and mobility and logistics.  In September 2023, Boom created a Defense Advisory Group of military and defense experts to assess Overture for national security missions.

Boom also broke the sound barrier three times without a sonic boom reaching the ground, which executives attributed to its propulsion technology and autopilot system. With support from AFWERX STRATFI funding, Boom Supersonic is developing Overture, described as the world’s fastest airliner, optimized for speed, safety and sustainability. Overture will fly at about twice the speed of today’s airliners and is designed to operate on up to 100% sustainable aviation fuel.

This Success Story, which was first published in the AFWERX-SpaceWERX FY2024 Annual Report, has been updated since its initial release.

In February 2025, the XB-1 completed its 13th and final test flight, exceeding Mach 1 for the second time and reaching a top speed of Mach 1.18. During these final flights, Boom refined its “Boomless Cruise” technology, using predictive algorithms to fly at supersonic speeds without generating an audible sonic boom on the ground.

Boom remains focused on the Overture airliner, which currently has an order book of 130 aircraft from carriers including United Airlines, American Airlines and Japan Airlines. The company expects to roll out the first Overture prototype in 2026, with the first flight anticipated in 2027. By bridging the “valley of death” between prototype and production, SBIR and Small Business Technology Transfer funding delivered through AFWERX programs is demonstrating the value of dual-use capabilities by helping advance supersonic technology for both military and commercial use.

*Disclaimer: References to non-federal entities do not constitute or imply Department of War or Air Force endorsement of any company or organization.