US Air Force, DARPA test two hypersonic missile systems

News, US July 15, 2022 , by IRIA No Comments

U.S. defense contractor Lockheed Martin successfully test two of its hypersonic missile systems with the U.S. Air Force and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

U.S. Air Force successfully tested Lockheed Martin’s Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) hypersonic booster missiles off the coast of California. According to the Pentagon, the ARRW hypersonic missiles were launched using a B-52H bomber plane. This was the second successful test of Lockheed Martin’s ARRW hypersonic missiles.

A successful test of ARRW marks significant progress in U.S. air-launched hypersonic weapons program. Lockheed Martin’s ARRW missile system has seen several setbacks due to which the U.S. Air Force reduced the funding for the project.

Three earlier attempts of test flights failed as the missile either failed to separate from the carrier aircraft or failed to fire the booster rocket. The current successful test of Lockheed Martin’s ARRW comes only two weeks after a failed attempt on June 29, when Lockheed Martin’s Common Hypersonic Glide Body missile failed at the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Hawaii.

Lockheed Martin’s statement highlighted that “this second successful test demonstrates ARRW’s ability to reach and withstand operational hypersonic speeds, collect crucial data for use in further flight tests, and validate safe separation from the aircraft.”

The U.S. Air Force Brigadier General and Program Executive Officer of the Armament Directorate Heath Collins said, “We have now completed our booster test series and are ready to move forward to all-up-round testing later this year.”

The ARRW hypersonic missile can travel in the upper atmosphere at more than five times the speed of sound, or about 6,200 km/h. This provides hypersonic missiles the capability of reaching long-range targets in lesser time as well as keeping a stealthy trajectory.

In a separate test by the DARPA, Lockheed Martin’s Operational Fires hypersonic missile was tested. DARPA conducted the test at the White Sands Missiles Range in New Mexico. The Operational Fires is a ground-launched hypersonic missile system that can be integrated into the existing High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS).

*^{The U.S. Air Force successfully conducts Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) hypersonic missile test. (Image Credit: Lockheed Martin)}*

According to Lockheed Martin, the Operational Fires or OpFires system will “rapidly and precisely engage critical, time-sensitive targets while penetrating modern enemy air defenses.” DARPA has requested to purchase the OpFires hypersonic missile system with a budget of $45 million in the fiscal year 2022.

American defense contractors are hoping to capitalize on the country’s growing need for hypersonic weapons. A string of successful and unsuccessful tests for hypersonic missiles has been observed in recent times as the Pentagon ramps up its effort to acquire a locally produced hypersonic weapon.

The U.S. base defense giants like Lockheed Martin, Raytheon Technologies, and Northrop Grumman have started to put a special emphasis on producing hypersonic weapons amid China and Russia’s growing success in the field.