The US successfully launches a hypersonic missile, the Air Force reports
The U.S. Air Force successfully test-fired the AGM-183 ARRW air-to-air hypersonic missile.
Although the US Air Force called the test a success, it did not disclose the speed of the weapon. During preliminary tests, the ARRW flew at a speed at least five times faster than the speed of sound, Reuters reports.
In a comment to Defense News, an Air Force spokesman said the missile was launched from a U.S. B-52H Stratofortress bomber after taking off from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam. The test was conducted at Reagan Proving Ground, an army facility in the Marshall Islands.
The Air Force declined to name the objectives of the test, but said it “gained valuable insight into the capabilities” of hypersonic weapons manufactured by Lockheed Martin.
“We have also confirmed and improved our test and evaluation capabilities to further develop advanced hypersonic systems,” the statement said.
The ARRW is one of the two main programs of the US Air Force to develop an airborne hypersonic weapon that could fly at Mach 5 and be highly maneuverable. China and Russia have invested heavily in their own hypersonic weapons, and the Pentagon is under pressure from Congress to show more progress on its own development.
