U.S. Air Force prepares B-52H Stratofortress nuclear bomber to test the hypersonic AGM-183A ARRW missile, which can reach speeds of 24,700 km/h

Personnel at Barksdale Air Force Base have begun preparations to test hypersonic weapons.

Here's What We Know

By the end of the year, the U.S. Air Force will test the AGM-183A Air-Launched Rapid Response (ARRW). As before, the B-52H Stratofortress strategic bomber will take part in the test. Specialists from the 307th Maintenance Squadron and representatives from the ARRW program have begun preparing the aircraft to load the latest weapons.

The AGM-183A ARRW is an advanced hypersonic cruise missile. It is equipped with a solid-propellant booster and a guided warhead, which is being developed by Lockheed Martin, an American company commissioned by the U.S. Air Force.

In the summer of 2019 at Edwards Air Force Base (Edwards) the first test of a prototype missile took place. By the end of 2020, the U.S. Air Force conducted several more mockup tests. The debut flight test took place in April 2021.

In July and December 2021, the tests ended in failure as the AGM-183A ARRW failed to separate from the aircraft. Last spring, the B-52H Stratofortress successfully launched a missile that was able to reach Mach 5 (6174 km/h) in flight.

The final version of the AGM-183A ARRW is expected to reach Mach 20 (24,700 km/h). The launch range will be, according to various sources, from 900 to 1,600 km. ARRW is the first air-launched missile that will appear in the military arsenal. As we wrote above, tests will take place by the end of the year, and the AGM-183A is scheduled to be adopted in the fall of 2023.

Source: Defense Brief

Image: Air & Space Forces Magazine, Wikipedia