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US Air Force tests troubled hypersonic missile
The Air-launched Fast Response Weapon was efficiently launched from a B-52H bomber off the coast of Southern California on Saturday and attained hypersonic speeds, the Air Power introduced on Monday, with out releasing any extra particulars concerning the take a look at itself, such because the period of the flight or its altitude.
“This was a significant accomplishment by the ARRW staff, for the weapon enterprise, and our Air Power,” stated Brig. Gen. Heath Collins, the Air Power’s program govt officer for weapons.
The ARRW is a hypersonic weapon that makes use of a booster rocket to speed up the missile to speeds in extra of Mach 5, or 5 instances the pace of sound. A hypersonic glide car then separates from the booster and glides at excessive pace towards its goal.
Someday earlier than this take a look at, Air Power Secretary Frank Kendall acknowledged the issues that the ARRW program has encountered.
“This system has not been profitable in analysis and improvement thus far,” Kendall advised the Home Appropriations Subcommittee on Protection. “We need to see proof of success earlier than we make the choice about dedication to manufacturing, so we’ll wait and see.”
The Pentagon has positioned an elevated emphasis on hypersonic weapons improvement after lawmakers turned involved that the US was falling behind the Chinese language and Russian applications. Final yr, China efficiently examined a hypersonic weapon that orbited the globe earlier than hitting its goal. Extra lately, Russia turned the primary nation ever to make use of hypersonic weapons in conflict when it launched its Iskander and Kinzhal missiles at Ukraine. The Pentagon stated that Russia has used between 10-12 hypersonic weapons for the reason that starting of its invasion of Ukraine.
The HAWC was launched from a B-52 bomber off the west coast within the first profitable take a look at of the Lockheed Martin system. A booster engine accelerated the missile to excessive pace, at which level the air-breathing scramjet engine ignited and propelled the missile at hypersonic speeds of Mach 5 and above.
The take a look at got here days after Russia says it used its personal hypersonic missile throughout its invasion of Ukraine, claiming it focused an ammunition warehouse in western Ukraine.
Even with the elevated give attention to hypersonic weapons, the Air Power secretary urged a be aware of warning about their significance.
“What we need to have a look at is what’s essentially the most price efficient mixture of weapons,” Kendall advised lawmakers. “There’s definitely a task for hypersonics in that, and we have to put money into that and procure them in some portions, however there’s nonetheless an open query in my thoughts about what’s essentially the most price efficient combine.”