US Revamps Hypersonic Missile Program: Speeding Past 5 Times Sound
A top U.S. defense official has assured that the Air Force will demand funding in fiscal 2026 to develop boost-glide hypersonic missiles. Named the AGM-183A Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW), the program was paused a year ago as officials needed time to fully analyze the test results.
However, now Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin has clarified that the service is set to continue the ARRW, which is a boost-glide missile that uses a rocket booster to reach hypersonic speeds.
The program combines critical high-speed flight technologies and accelerates the weaponization of air-to-ground hypersonic strike capabilities for the U.S. Air Force.
Time-sensitive strike capability
The weapon is being developed to provide a stand-off, time-sensitive strike capability for the U.S. Air Force. Maryland-based defense firm Lockheed Martin is leading a diverse industry team to design, develop, test and field a prototype hypersonic weapon, capable of being air-launched from U.S. bomber and fighter aircraft.
The service, in its budget request in 2025, didn’t demand funding for the ARRW program as they weren’t sure about weapon’s effectiveness and accuracy during the tests.
In late 2022, the Air Force conducted a successful all-up-round test for ARRW, and three tests were also conducted in 2023. However, reports revealed that the service didn’t provide any details on the results of the final test conducted in 2024.
ARRW’s test campaign faced challenges
However, a report by the Pentagon highlighted in 2024 that ARRW’s test campaign was challenged by a lack of available infrastructure and insufficient means to collect critical flight data.
While in 2023, a top U.S. Air Force official also revealed that ARRW’s second test in March was unsuccessful and the service was reevaluating the program as it finished flight tests. They were shifting focus toward the Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM) program.
“I will tell you that we are developing — and you’ll see in the budget submission, assuming it’s what we put forward — two different programs. One is a larger form factor that is more strategic [and] long range that we have already tested several times — it’s called ARRW,” said Allvin during a House Armed Services Committee hearing.
“Our munitions portfolio will be maintained by substantial investment in FY26 , and we will build inventory to support today’s air dominance while simultaneously investing in technology to counter future near-peer threats. Hypersonics will play a role in future warfare and have cemented their place in the overall USAF game plan via wargaming and analysis.”
He highlighted that Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM) is entering flight test, with a planned production start in FY27, and will remain a component of the USAF strategy now and in the foreseeable future. The Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon completed its rapid prototyping in August 2024. The USAF will also pursue long-range, affordable mass weapons that can be replenished faster than expenditure rates.
The Air Force first awarded Lockheed Martin a $480 million contract in 2018 to begin testing the ARRW.
The missile is what’s called a boost-glide system: It reaches near-space altitudes using a rocket booster, then glides back to Earth at speeds exceeding five times the speed of sound (Mach 5). Unlike conventional ballistic missiles, modern boost-glide weapons can maneuver in flight, making them nearly impossible to intercept with existing missile defense systems, reported Defense One .
Post a Comment