The United States Air Force (USAF) sent a message to Russia and China on Monday by announcing a successful test of its prototype air-launched hypersonic missile.
The weapon is destined for use against pre-determined ground assets including – but not limited to – missile sites, radar stations, air defense installations, and infrastructure facilities.
In a case of better late than never, the breakthrough means the U.S. is one step closer to catching both Russia and China which have already made massive advances in developing the weaponry.
Just 12 months ago U.S. intelligence agencies were caught by surprise when China secretly tested a nuclear-capable low-orbit hypersonic missile. The weapon circled the globe before descending upon its target, missing by about two dozen miles, as Breitbart News reported.
The U.S. air-launched Rapid Response Weapon was fired from a B-52H Stratofortress on Friday off the coast of southern California.
UPI reports the missile, called an AGM-183A ARRW, was developed by Lockheed Martin.
The 412th Test Wing conducted the test of the hypersonic missile via Edwards Air Force Base facilities.
File/Crew from the 912th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron secure the AGM-183A Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon Instrumented Measurement Vehicle 2 as it is loaded under the wing of a B-52H Stratofortress during a hypersonics test, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., Aug. 6, 2020. (USAF/Giancarlo Casem)
“The ARRW team successfully designed and tested an air-launched hypersonic missile in five years,” said Brig. Gen. Jason Bartolomei, Armament Directorate Program executive officer.
“I am immensely proud of the tenacity and dedication this team has shown to provide a vital capability to our war fighter.”
The exact speed of the AGM-183A isn’t known, although the Lockheed Martin-designed weapon is said to be based on previous test vehicles that have an alleged maximum speed of Mach 20, or 15,000 mph (24,000 kph).
Hypersonic missiles represent the latest worldwide arms race as multiple nations invest heavily in their development.
They are capable of traveling faster than the speed of sound and maneuvering mid-flight, making them difficult to track, intercept, and ultimately bring down.
File/This 2010 U.S. Air Force file photo shows a hypersonic flight test vehicle under the wing of a B-52 Stratofortress during testing. The U.S. Air Force has previously awarded nearly $1 bn for hypersonic missile development (AFP)
The Pentagon has placed an increased emphasis on the testing and development of hypersonic weapons in the light of advances elsewhere.
Russia has deployed its hypersonic Kinzhal missiles in Ukraine, marking perhaps the first time such weapons have been used in war. And during a test last year, a Chinese hypersonic missile flew around the world before hitting its target.
The air launch system comes as the B-52 Stratofortress continues to show its worth some half a century and more after it was first developed for the U.S. Air Force and went into operational use in 1955.
Last October U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bombers took the lead as fighter jets from Belgium, Germany, and 12 other countries flew across Europe’s skies on annual nuclear exercises, amid reports Russia has increased the number of strategic bombers close to its border with NATO-member state Norway.
The annual NATO training went ahead despite rising fears President Vladimir Putin might consider a real nuclear strike in Ukraine.
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