Overcoming a String of Failures, America's Hypersonic Missile Program is Stronger than Ever

The Air Force announced the completion of its first operational hypersonic missile, designated the Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon.

Lockheed Martin's AGM-183A ARRW, was tested off the coast of Southern California, launched from an underwing polyon from a B-52H from the 412th Test Wing. The prototype was launched at altitude before accelerating to 5 times the speed of sound and self-destructing at the end of its designated flight path.

“The ARRW team successfully designed and tested an air-launched hypersonic missile in five years,” Brigadier General Jason Bartolomei, program executive officer for the Air Force’s armament directorate. “I am immensely proud of the tenacity and dedication this team has shown to provide a vital capability to our warfighter.”

The successful flight test is promising for a country lagging behind near-peer militaries who have invested in hypersonic munitions. The US has spent middling effort on developing its hypersonic capabilities for one reason or another, from excessive costs to unproven capability. Any rationale about efficacy may be harder to maintain in the face of recent performance of the Russian Kalibr, which, though imperfect, has proven the general utility of ordnance that can travel at Mach 5 and evade all conventional air defenses. With China and Russia further along in hypersonic development, lawmakers have grown antsy for a good ol' game of "keeping up with the Joneses".

This success signifies solid headway after a disappointing string of failures in 2021, when three unsuccessful launches occurred back to back. That garnered some hefty condemnation from lawmakers questioning the steep costs of the development program, who followed up on the chastisement with a $161 million budget cut. Undeterred, the program kept on trying, breaking their losing streak in May of 2022 with another successful test in July. Now, with a full-flight test, the ARRW program is back on track and apparently well on its way to being ready for action.

Andrew Hunter, assistant Air Force secretary of acquisition, has said that they've been trying to figure out just how the hypersonic munitions will slot into the arsenal. The USAF's focus on preparing for future battlefields requires a lot of thought and planning before going all-in on something fresh.

“Obviously, you wouldn’t buy something that doesn’t work,” said Hunter. “But even if it does work, it’s got to be the right contribution to the overall weapons mix and the highest priority targets. That’s what’s driving decision making.”

FMI: www.af.mil