According to the latest report from CCTV Military citing Reuters , the U.S. Air Force finally received good news on the test of its own hypersonic weapon . After many failures, they finally successfully test-fired the AGM-183A "Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon" (ARRW) booster developed by Lockheed Martin on the coast of California.
(The AGM-183A mounted on the B52 bomber )
Please note that this is not a successful test launch of the hypersonic missile , only a successful test of the booster. This is equivalent to the fact that the United States has finally spent a lot of money to develop a variable-thrust solid engine. This test marks the end of the booster testing phase of the air-launched rapid response weapon project. The U.S. Air Force will then advance to the second phase, which is the waverider gliding test.
(Video screenshot of ARRW igniting after breaking away from B-52 bomber )
This has to mention the research and development plan of the AGM-183A hypersonic missile. The missile research and development project was initiated by the US Department of Defense as early as 2014. It is supported by the Advanced Technology Research Agency. Their initial plan was to use the strategic bomber to mount this hypersonic missile. After the missile separates from the bomber in the air, it will use its solid booster rocket engine to fly to high altitudes, and then release an unpowered waverider configuration. The gliding body will eventually accelerate to a speed of about Mach 20 and break through the opponent's missile defense system .
(B-52 bomber equipped with ARRW)
However, the US military has suffered many failures in this project. On April 15, 2021, the hypersonic missile failed to successfully separate from the B52 strategic bomber, which ultimately led to the test failure; on July 28 of that year, the missile finally successfully separated from the carrier aircraft, but the booster failed to ignite successfully again. The launch failed; on December 18 of that year, when the US military was test-firing the AGM-183A, the missile failed to separate from the carrier aircraft again. After
failed three times, on May 14 this year, the United States finally completed a successful launch test in southern California . Data shows that the burning time of the AGM183A missile's booster after ignition met expectations. But having said that, the Americans originally planned to list the missile in 2023. However, the fiscal year 2023 budget released by the US military in May this year showed that even in 2024, the US military had no plans to purchase this superb missile. The budget for sonic missiles. To some extent, it also shows that the US military is really tired of hypersonic weapons.
(Rendering of ARRW opening fairing at high altitude)
So the question is, what is the strength of this hypersonic missile? In fact, from the perspective of its overall configuration,
's various design indicators are not considered advanced. For example, the missile uses a single-stage solid rocket motor. After boosting to take off to a high altitude, the fairing on the head of the missile is opened, and then a quasi-waverider high-lift glide body is used to complete gliding and acceleration in the air. However, the Americans required the F-15EX fighter jet to be able to carry the missile from the beginning of the design, so its weight was severely restricted. The AGM-183A warhead weighs only more than 100 pounds, about 45 kilograms. In other words, the missile does not have any ability to attack strategic targets or large and medium-sized tactical targets.
(AGM-183A missile)
The process of Americans developing hypersonic missiles can be regarded as a reverse advertisement for China, Russia and even North Korea. Previously, many people thought that hypersonic missiles were just an aircraft that was not advanced in performance, could not change the shape of future warfare, and had an uncomplicated overall configuration. Many countries were fully capable of developing such asymmetric combat weapons as long as they invested heavily. .
(B-52 mounts AGM-183A)
However, the United States slapped these people in the face with practical actions.They thought that they would be able to successfully develop the project soon after establishing the project, and equipped the troops to even scare their competitors to death. However, they did not know the complexity of hypersonic missile development until they started doing it. Now the United States has just achieved initial success in the engine, and it can be considered that it has caught up. Probably half the level of North Korea.
(North Korea’s Hwasong-12 hypersonic missile)
