The AGM-183A Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) had its second consecutive successful test on Tuesday after a string of failed tests earlier in the program. An Air Force program, the ARRW is a boost-glide system that uses a rocket to accelerate a missile to hypersonic speeds before launching a hypersonic glider that coasts toward a target at speeds above Mach 5.
Developing hypersonic weapons is a key priority for the Pentagon amid competition from China and Russia, but the program has had a troubled test history with three failed tests in a row before the successful test in May.
The Air Force did not specify how fast the ARRW flew or how far it traveled, but said the missile reached hypersonic speed and met its primary and secondary targets. The Air Force will begin testing the entire system for the first time later this year, called a comprehensive test.
In addition to the successful test of the ARRW, the Pentagon also conducted a successful test of the OpFires missile. The Operational Fires program is managed by DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. It was the first flight test of the ground-based hypersonic acceleration and glide system, which is designed to be launched from a standard military truck, DARPA said.
The test was conducted in late May, a defense official told CNN.
The OpFires missile did not reach hypersonic speed during the test, the official told CNN, but that was not the purpose of the exercise. Instead, the first test flight of the OpFires system was primarily intended to test the launch of a missile from the vehicle. Additional tests of the system are planned for later this year, the official said.
DARPA said the test met all of its goals.
The Pentagon has put more emphasis on developing hypersonic weapons after lawmakers became concerned that the U.S. was lagging behind Chinese and Russian programs. Last year, China successfully tested a hypersonic weapon that circled the globe before hitting its target. Most recently, Russia became the first nation to use hypersonic weapons in war when it fired its Iskander and Kinzhal missiles against Ukraine.
But US efforts to catch up with Russia and China have not been without problems. In addition to the failures during testing of the ARRW program, another hypersonic weapon system also experienced problems.
In late June, a test of the Common Hypersonic Glide Body failed after an “anomaly” occurred during the first test of the complete system, according to the Pentagon. The anomaly prevented the Defense Department from completing the entire test, but the Pentagon said it was not a complete failure.
A previous test of the Common Hypersonic Glide Body, a Navy-Army joint venture, also ended prematurely when the launch vehicle failed. Without the launch vehicle, the Pentagon could not proceed with a test of the system.
In March, the Pentagon successfully tested a hypersonic air-breathing weapon (HAWC) concept, but kept the test quiet for two weeks to avoid escalating tensions with Russia as President Joe Biden was about to travel to Europe.
UPDATE: This story has been updated to reflect a new time from a defense official on when the test took place. It was carried out at the end of May. It has also been updated with additional comments and background information.
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