Space News reports the Space Development Agency approved L3Harris “to move into production on “16 Tracking Layer Tranche 1 satellites “designed to detect and monitor hypersonic missiles aimed at the U.S. or its allies.” Defense Daily reports, “The Tranche 1 Tracking Layer will identify and track hypersonic weapons and advanced missiles, as part of the SDA’s Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture.”
Full Story (Space News); More Info (Defense Daily)
Tag: Hypersonic Missile
US Air Force Completes Final Test of Lockheed’s Hypersonic Missile
Defense News reports, “The U.S. Air Force on Sunday carried out what is expected to be the final test of the hypersonic AGM-183A Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon.” The Air Force declined to identify the test’s objectives, but said it “gained valuable insights into the capabilities” of the Lockheed Martin-made hypersonic weapon.
Full Story (Defense News)
Air Force’s Test Launch of Hypersonic Missile from B-52 Fails
The Hill reports that the US Air Force’s “first flight test of the rocket booster for its prototype hypersonic missile failed Monday when the test weapon did not launch, the service said Tuesday.” During the “test flight over the Point Mugu Sea Range off the Southern California coast, a B-52H Stratofortress was supposed to launch the AGM-183A Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon’s (ARRW) booster vehicle, but ‘the test missile was not able to complete its launch sequence,’ the Air Force said in a news release.” The ARRW “was still ‘safely’ on the aircraft when it returned to Edwards Air Force Base, the release added. That means Air Force engineers and testers will be able to study the defect and attempt to test the missile again, the release said.”
Full Story (The Hill)
US Air Force to Test Hypersonic Missile Capable of Travelling 20 Times Speed of Sound
The Daily Mail reports that the US Air Force is preparing to test its new hypersonic missile “that is said to be capable of flying 20 times the speed of sound.” The test will take place sometime this month and will have a B-52H bomber carry an AGM-183A missile “high into the air and launch it at more than five times the speed of sound.” The Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon would then deploy a dummy second state that would “disintegrate” in the atmosphere. This month’s test will only evaluate the missile’s rocket booster. According to the Air Force, the test will “demonstrate the booster’s ability to reach operational speeds and collect other important data.”
Full Story (Daily Mail)
DoD Official: AGM-183A Slated to Be First US Hypersonic Weapon in Procurement
National Defense Magazine reported that Mike White, principal director for hypersonics in the office of the undersecretary of defense for research and engineering, recently indicated that the “Air Force’s AGM-183A Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon is poised to be the first hypersonic offensive system to move from development to procurement. … There will be a number of test flights for ARRW…over the next year with fielding planned in 2022,” according to White. White said at a recent Center for Strategic and International Studies event, “All we need is our industry partner Lockheed Martin to deliver the capability, and then we’ll buy it.”
Full Story (National Defense Magazine)