Hypersonic Missile Test Successful

Wednesday, December 14, 2022 at 04:04 PM ET

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EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (June 12, 2019) B-52 out of EDW carries ARRW IMV asset for its first captive carry flight over Edwards Air Force Base. (U.S. Air Force photo by Christopher Okula)

Key Takeaways:

The U.S. Air Force successfully conducted the first end-to-end test of its new Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) hypersonic missile system on December 9th.
The ARRW missile, designated AG-183A, achieved speeds greater than Mach 5, completed its intended flight path, and detonated in the terminal area, meeting all test objectives.
This successful test marks a significant milestone after five years of development and overcoming earlier setbacks, as the Air Force faces pressure from China and Russia, who possess similar weapons.
Launched from a B-52H, the missile is intended as a standoff conventional weapon to engage high-value, time-sensitive targets in contested environments.

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The Air Force has successfully completed an end-to-end test of its new hypersonic missile system. The test of the Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) took place off the coast of Southern California on Dec.9. “This test was the first launch of a full prototype operational missile. Previous test events focused on proving the booster performance,” the Air Force said in a statement. “Following the ARRW’s separation from the aircraft, it reached hypersonic speeds greater than five times the speed of sound, completed its flight path and detonated in the terminal area. Indications show that all objectives were met.”

The system has been under development for five years and suffered some early setbacks in the test program. Those glitches were apparently worked out as the Air Force faced pressure from China and Russia, which have hypersonic weapons in their inventories. The Air Force says the missile, designated AG-183A, was launched from a B-52H and is intended to be used as a standoff conventional weapon to “hold fixed, high-value, time-sensitive targets at risk in contested environments.”