AGM-183A ARRW (cruise missile)

History

2023

The US Air Force recognized the failure of the ARRW hypersonic missile project and curtails it

On August 19, 2023, the US Air Force tested a hypersonic missile as part of the ARRW (Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon) program.

The launch of the AGM-183A ARRW missile, manufactured by Lockheed Martin Corporation, was reportedly carried out from a Boeing B-52H Stratofortress strategic bomber off the coast in southern California. The US military does not specify whether these tests were successful. It is only said that "valuable information has been obtained about the capabilities" of the product, which will help in the creation of hypersonic weapons.

US Air Force recognized the failure of the hypersonic missile project ARRW and curtail it

Previous tests of the AGM-183A air-launched missile, carried out in March 2023, were unsuccessful. This field, US Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said that the HACM (Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile) project to create a hypersonic cruise missile with a ramjet engine has priority for the US military. Against this background, the ARRW program can be minimized.

We are going to complete the ARRW tests and then make a procurement decision, but at the moment [by mid-August 2023] there is no money planned for this initiative in the five-year budget, "said an Air Force spokesman.

The AARW AGM-183 program may not receive funding to complete even a few recent trials, it said. According to available information, the chairman of the US House of Representatives Committee on the Armed Forces, Mike Rogers, "completely withdrew" $150.3 million for the final work under the project. Due to a series of unsuccessful tests, it is not planned to launch the rocket into production.

At the same time, it is said that the United States attaches great importance to the development of hypersonic weapons. Only China and Russia possess missiles of this type that are invulnerable to interception by a conventional missile defense system.^[1]

Failed tests

On March 24, 2023, the US Air Force reported that earlier tests of air-launched hypersonic weapons had not yielded the desired result.

We are talking about a promising cruise missile AGM-183A ARRW with a solid fuel accelerator and a controlled combat unit developed by Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. This hypersonic missile is designed to hit land targets, ships and rapidly changing the position of objects. On May 14, 2022, the US Air Force successfully tested a missile for the first time, which was able to reach a speed of Mach 5 - more than 6100 km/h.

B-52H Stratofortress bomber conducting missile tests

Another test launch of the AGM-183A took place on March 13, 2023: the launch was carried out from the B-52H Stratofortress bomber off the coast of southern California. The test is known to have had several objectives regarding missile performance and data collection for further analysis. No details were disclosed, but it is reported that the launch ended in failure.

The test was unsuccessful. We could not get the data that we need, "said US Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall at a hearing in the House Appropriations Committee.

Kendall noted that this failure could put the AGM-183A program at risk. According to him, the Pentagon may switch to the development of hypersonic weapons under the Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM) project. This missile is smaller in size than the AGM-183A, and therefore will give the US armed forces "tactical flexibility." In particular, HACM can be launched not only by heavy bombers, but also by fighters. The final decision on the fate of the AGM-183A project will be made after establishing the reasons for the unsuccessful start and two more test launches.^[2]

Notes