home Security Air & Missile Defense US Air Force Races to Develop a Hypersonic Missile

US Air Force Races to Develop a Hypersonic Missile

Mar 21, 2024

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The US Air Force has successfully tested its AGM-183A Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) hypersonic missile. “This test launched a full prototype operational hypersonic missile and focused on the ARRW’s end-to-end performance,” reported an official spokesperson.

The spokesperson stated that the Air Force “gained valuable insights into the capabilities of this new, cutting-edge technology… acquired valuable, unique data and was intended to further a range of hypersonic programs.” He also pointed out that the Air Force validated and improved their test and evaluation capabilities for “continued development of advanced hypersonic systems.”

The Air Force has notably provided limited information about the test’s outcome, refraining from explicitly stating whether or not it was successful, or disclosing the speed the weapon achieved.

According to Interesting Engineering, the ARRW missile system has two main components: an unpowered hypersonic boost-glide vehicle at its front and a large rocket booster at its rear. The booster is meant to propel the missile to the needed altitude and speed, after which the boost-glide vehicle is separated and released. The glide vehicle is then designed to glide at hypersonic speeds and travel along a relatively shallow and unpredictable path in the atmosphere to its target. Additionally, the system is designed to be highly maneuverable to enable one to change course on a whim to avoid countermeasures.

This test follows talks of the Air Force planning to end the ARRW program and shift resources to the Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (another type of hypersonic missile). However, this test marks the completion of the Air Force’s test of the ARRW missile.

China and Russia have also notably been racing to develop hypersonic missiles, with reports suggesting that Russia has fired hypersonic missiles at targets in Ukraine. Other reports indicate that China is ahead of the game when it comes to developing, testing and deploying hypersonic weapons.