Hypersonic missile failures cast doubt on US bid to catch up with China and Russia
- Issues with Lockheed Martin’s Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon mean a tight time line to have it declared combat-ready by end September
- A production decision on the first 12 missiles that was previously planned for January is on hold pending the results of a failure review and further tests
US efforts to catch up with China and Russia in developing hypersonic weapons may be set back after Lockheed Martin Corp.’s air-launched missile suffered three consecutive test failures that left it on a tight schedule.
That has put in doubt the Pentagon’s goal to declare it America’s first combat-ready hypersonic weapon and approve initial production by September 30.
China and Russia have conducted test launches and fielded their versions of the new weapons, which can travel five times the speed of sound and manoeuvre in flight like a cruise missile, making them harder to detect and shoot down.
The US weapon faces several hurdles in a development phase now expected to cost at least US$1.4 billion before it can be found to have “early operation capability”. The Air Force has not yet released an estimate of total acquisition costs or said how many of the weapons it wants.
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Chinese hypersonic weapons test ‘has all of our attention’, US General Mark Milley says
The latest hurdle: successfully conducting fourth and fifth tests of its booster motor by June 30. Their timing will be contingent on the results of a failure review board for the third test that was to be complete by the end of last month, according to the Air Force programme office.