U.S. Army in 2023 will receive first hypersonic missiles

The first hypersonic missiles capable of reaching speeds in excess of Mach 5 (6174 km/h) will appear in the U.S. arsenal this year.

Here's What We Know

The U.S. Army is working with the Navy to develop hypersonic missiles. The missiles will be accepted for service in late 2023, with two more tests to be conducted before then.

Lt. Gen. Robert Rasch notes that the next test will include the first launch of the missile using ground launch equipment. The timing of the test has not yet been disclosed.

The U.S. began working on hypersonic weapons more than 10 years ago. In 2010, the military made the first test launch, but the program was suspended. Five years ago, the U.S. Army resumed the project.

The Navy and the U.S. Army worked in parallel. Each service handled its own project. The Navy developed a two-stage upper stage for a hypersonic missile, and the Army built the case.

In early 2020, the military successfully tested a hypersonic missile at the Pacific Missile Range in Hawaii. A year later, the tests failed because the upper stage failed. Last summer, however, the hypersonic missile was again able to successfully perform a test flight.

Source: Defense News