US Air Force hypersonic weapon fails to launch in first flight test
- AGM-183A ARRW hypersonic weapon meant to launch from B-52 bomber
- Missile expected to be first air-launched hypersonic weapon in US arsenal
A US Air Force bomber tried and failed to launch a test missile for a new hypersonic weapon during a long-awaited first flight test.
The US Air Force said in a statement that it suffered “a setback in demonstrating its progress in hypersonic weapons on April 5 when its first booster vehicle flight test encountered an issue on the aircraft and did not launch”.
A B-52H Stratofortress bomber was unable to complete the launch sequence on Monday when it tried to release the booster test vehicle for the AGM-183 Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon in the skies above the Point Mugu Sea Range in California.
The US Air Force had hoped to evaluate not only the release of the booster test vehicle from the aircraft, but also the booster’s vehicle’s performance, booster-shroud separation, and a simulated glide vehicle separation.
Hypersonic weapons consist of a rocket booster to get the weapon up to speeds of at least Mach 5 and a glide vehicle that will separate from the booster and continue on to the target, travelling along an unpredictable flight path.