Washington: Amid mounting worries that Russia and China have more success creating their own hypersonic weapons, the US Air Force developed and tested a Lockheed Martin Corp. ballistic missile this week, people familiar with the activities said on Wednesday.
The Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) booster was successfully tested by the US Air Force on Tuesday off the coast of California, according to the sources. Before being released toward its target, the ARRW is hauled aloft beneath the wing of the aircraft. The weapon did not separate from the plane during earlier tests.
In the upper stratosphere, hypersonic missiles can reach speeds of up to 6,200 km (3,853 mph), and more than 5 times the speed of light.The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) recently showed its Operational Fires programme in another successful hypersonic weapon test, according to two sources with knowledge of the situation.
The successful tests demonstrate advancement in the many US hypersonic weapons development initiatives, which have occasionally been hampered by failed tests, mounting concerns over cost, and rising worries that the US is lagging behind in what has evolved into a superpower arms race.
A ground-launched system called Operational Fires is designed to “rapidly and precisely engage important, time-sensitive targets while breaching current adversary air defences.” In fiscal year 2022, DARPA asked and got $45 million for OpFires.
