The US Air Force has successfully tested the AGM-183A hypersonic missile from Lockheed Martin.
This was reported by The Drive.
The launch took place on Saturday, May 14. The American multi-role heavy long-range bomber Boeing B-52 Stratofortress launched the AGM-183A hypersonic missile in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California.
It is noted that this successful launch was made after three failed attempts last year. It is reported that during the tests, the rocket reached a speed five times faster than the speed of sound (over 6 thousand km/h).
The AGM-183A ARRW (Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon) is a promising hypersonic cruise missile with a solid propellant accelerator and a guided combat unit. It must accelerate hypersonic weapons to a given speed (above M5 or over 6,120 km/h) and bypass enemy tracking systems due to special manoeuvrability.
- In October 2021, the media reported that the US Army and Navy had failed to test a hypersonic glider launched from a rocket in the upper atmosphere. The launch vehicle failed, and the weapon was most likely lost.
- In December of that year, it became known that the US Air Force failed to test the AGM-183A hypersonic missile for the third time.