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AGM-183 ARRW
The AGM-183 ARRW ("Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon") is a hypersonic air-to-ground ballistic missile planned for use by the United States Air Force. Developed by Lockheed Martin, the boost-glide vehicle is propelled to a maximum speed of more than Mach 5 by a rocket motor before gliding toward its target. The program was cancelled in March 2023 after multiple failed tests. The program continued despite the cancellation and was announced in late 2023 to still be in development following additional, undisclosed testing, but in 2024 it was announced that in the fiscal year 2025 budget, no funding would be provided for procurement or further research and development. In 2025 the Air Force announced plans to fund ARRW in FY 2026, with the intent to begin procurement.
In August 2018, the U.S. Air Force awarded a $480 million contract to Lockheed Martin for the development of an air-launched hypersonic weapon. The resulting missile, the AGM-183A ARRW ("Arrow"), underwent an initial captive carry flight test aboard a U.S. Air Force B-52 in June 2019.
In February 2020, the Trump Administration proposed a 23% increase in funding for hypersonic weapons, and the same month, the U.S. Air Force announced it had decided to move forward with acquisition of the AGM-183A.
In March 2020, Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Michael D. Griffin stated that the United States was "close at hand" to having a hypersonic boost-glide weapon ready to field.
In early 2023, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated that a production run of 300 ARRWs would have a unit cost of $14.9 million per missile and a program cost of $5.3 billion including platform integration and 20 years of sustainment. For a production run of 100, each unit would cost $18 million with a program cost of $2.2 billion.
A "Super-Duper Missile" was announced by US President Donald Trump during a press availability in the Oval Office on May 15, 2020. According to Trump, the weapon is 17 times faster than existing missiles in the United States arsenal; however, Kingston Reif of the Arms Control Association believes the claim may have been a misstatement. PBS news correspondent Nick Schifrin has theorized that the "Super-Duper Missile" is the AGM-183A, as has the China Times.
The AGM-183A had a claimed maximum speed of more than 15,000 miles per hour (24,000 km/h; Mach 20).[disputed (for: disagreement between sources) – discuss]
The weapon used a boost-glide system, in which it was propelled to hypersonic speed by a rocket on which it was mounted before gliding toward a target. According to Air Force Global Strike Commander General Timothy Ray, the U.S. Air Force was, as of April 2020, considering using the remaining fleet of B-1B bombers as AGM-183A firing platforms, with each aircraft carrying up to 31 hypersonic weapons (between ARRW and HAWC) mounted on the Common Strategic Rotary Launcher and on external pylons.
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AGM-183 ARRW
The AGM-183 ARRW ("Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon") is a hypersonic air-to-ground ballistic missile planned for use by the United States Air Force. Developed by Lockheed Martin, the boost-glide vehicle is propelled to a maximum speed of more than Mach 5 by a rocket motor before gliding toward its target. The program was cancelled in March 2023 after multiple failed tests. The program continued despite the cancellation and was announced in late 2023 to still be in development following additional, undisclosed testing, but in 2024 it was announced that in the fiscal year 2025 budget, no funding would be provided for procurement or further research and development. In 2025 the Air Force announced plans to fund ARRW in FY 2026, with the intent to begin procurement.
In August 2018, the U.S. Air Force awarded a $480 million contract to Lockheed Martin for the development of an air-launched hypersonic weapon. The resulting missile, the AGM-183A ARRW ("Arrow"), underwent an initial captive carry flight test aboard a U.S. Air Force B-52 in June 2019.
In February 2020, the Trump Administration proposed a 23% increase in funding for hypersonic weapons, and the same month, the U.S. Air Force announced it had decided to move forward with acquisition of the AGM-183A.
In March 2020, Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Michael D. Griffin stated that the United States was "close at hand" to having a hypersonic boost-glide weapon ready to field.
In early 2023, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated that a production run of 300 ARRWs would have a unit cost of $14.9 million per missile and a program cost of $5.3 billion including platform integration and 20 years of sustainment. For a production run of 100, each unit would cost $18 million with a program cost of $2.2 billion.
A "Super-Duper Missile" was announced by US President Donald Trump during a press availability in the Oval Office on May 15, 2020. According to Trump, the weapon is 17 times faster than existing missiles in the United States arsenal; however, Kingston Reif of the Arms Control Association believes the claim may have been a misstatement. PBS news correspondent Nick Schifrin has theorized that the "Super-Duper Missile" is the AGM-183A, as has the China Times.
The AGM-183A had a claimed maximum speed of more than 15,000 miles per hour (24,000 km/h; Mach 20).[disputed (for: disagreement between sources) – discuss]
The weapon used a boost-glide system, in which it was propelled to hypersonic speed by a rocket on which it was mounted before gliding toward a target. According to Air Force Global Strike Commander General Timothy Ray, the U.S. Air Force was, as of April 2020, considering using the remaining fleet of B-1B bombers as AGM-183A firing platforms, with each aircraft carrying up to 31 hypersonic weapons (between ARRW and HAWC) mounted on the Common Strategic Rotary Launcher and on external pylons.