U.S. Air Force conducts hypersonic missile test, gains ‘new insights’

October 29, 2023

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A B-52H Stratofortress departs Edwards Air Force Base, California, in August 2023 to test a hypersonic AGM-183A Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon prototype. IMAGE CREDIT: MATTHEW WILLIAMS /U.S. AIR FORCE

FORUM Staff

The United States Air Force launched its hypersonic missile prototype, an AGM-183A Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW), on October 12, 2023, from a B-52H bomber out of Edwards Air Force Base, California.

In support of the U.S. National Defense Strategy and the National Security Strategy, the Department of Defense is developing hypersonic science and technology for advanced munitions to ensure the U.S. can rapidly transition operational hypersonic systems in concert with a wider force mixture.

“This test launched a full prototype operational hypersonic missile and focused on the ARRW’s end-to-end performance,” the Air Force said. The hypersonic glide vehicle was mounted to an Army Tactical Missile System missile booster, according to Air & Space Forces Magazine, a publication of the Air & Space Forces Association. The Air Force is developing the capability, known as an all-up round (AUR) test, with defense contractor Lockheed Martin.

“The air force gained valuable new insights into the capabilities of this new, cutting-edge technology. While we won’t discuss specific test objectives, this test acquired valuable, unique data and was intended to further a range of programs such as ARRW and Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM),” the Air Force said.

The Air Force also tested an ARRW in August 2023, with more AUR flight tests planned for 2024.

The Air Force plans to employ hypersonic weapons from a range of platforms and continues to develop the HACM, which has an air-breathing engine and can be carried by a fighter jet. Defense company Raytheon is developing the missile, which uses a Northrop Grumman engine.

In September 2023, crews from the U.S. Air Force Global Strike and Air Combat commands trained at Edwards Air Force Base on the fundamentals of hypersonic weapons, including operations, logistics and tactics. The training covered the ARRW and HACM, among other programs under development.

The Air Force is investing in research, development, testing, production and fielding of hypersonic and subsonic precision-guided munitions and other advanced weapons capabilities to maintain a competitive advantage. A hypersonic air-launched weapon would enable the U.S. to hold high-value, time-sensitive targets at risk in contested environments.