Defense and innovation: CIRA at DVDay 2025 with the HYPERION project

CIRA took part in the Distinguished Visitors' Day (DVDay), a demonstration event promoted by the European Defence Agency (EDA) and the Italian National Armaments Directorate (D.N.A.), held at the Italian Army’s CE.POLI.SPE center in Montelibretti as part of the Operational Experimentation Campaign (OPEX 2025) dedicated to technological innovation for defense.

During the event, Sara Di Benedetto, head of systems and technologies for hypersonic vehicles at CIRA, presented the HYPERION project within the exhibition area of the National Armaments Directorate.

HYPERION, funded under the National Military Research Plan (PNRM), coordinated by the Campania Aerospace District (DAC) and implemented by CIRA together with a network of industries, SMEs, and universities, aims to develop a suborbital hypersonic vehicle capable of reaching Mach 4.5. The system is designed for surveillance and interception (scramble) missions in national airspace up to 100 km altitude, in response to threats from hypersonic weapon systems. It can also be used as the first stage for deploying microsatellites into low Earth orbit (LEO).

DVDay provided an important opportunity for institutions, armed forces, industry, and European research centers to share emerging defense capabilities through demonstration sessions and technical presentations of advanced defense innovation programs. Through its participation, CIRA reaffirms its commitment to supporting the development of strategic technological capabilities for Italy and for European cooperation in aerospace and defense.