2024-03-20 17:24:23
Washington: The US Air Force on Sunday conducted the final test of the hypersonic AGM-183A Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW). A B-52H bomber fired the missile from Guam, a highly strategic US Pacific island territory. The Air Force did not say whether their test was successful or not. According to a Defense News report, an Air Force spokesperson said that after taking off from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, the B-53H tested a fully operational ARRW prototype, called an all-up round test. The test was conducted at the Reagan Test Site, an Army facility in the Marshall Islands. The Air Force did not provide information about the objectives of this test. But said that he has received important information about the capabilities of the hypersonic weapon made by Lockheed Martin. Guam is an area close to China. This is the first time that ARRW or any hypersonic missile has been tested by the US. Such tests are a big message for the entire Pacific and especially for China.
US Air Force will get weapons
In another related statement, Lockheed Martin said that it is ready to provide ARRW technology and other hypersonic capabilities to the Air Force. Lockheed Martin said that following the recent end-to-end flight test, Lockheed Martin has completed the test with full confidence in the revolutionary capabilities of the ARRW and we are ready to deliver this hypersonic weapon to the US Air Force. The US Air Force is running two major air-launched hypersonic weapon programs, of which ARRW is one.
America’s deadliest jet equipped with nuclear weapons, increased tension between Russia and China
pressure on air force
This weapon can fly at a speed 5 times the speed of sound. China and Russia have invested heavily in their hypersonic weapons. The US Congress is under constant pressure on the Pentagon to show more progress in developing its capabilities. US Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall told lawmakers after the test failure in March last year that the ARRW program was struggling in testing.
North Korea is also making weapons
America lags behind Russia and China in hypersonic weapons technology. Meanwhile, North Korea has said that it is also moving forward in making this weapon. North Korean state media claimed on Wednesday that Kim Jong-un’s forces have made progress in developing a hypersonic missile designed to have enough range to attack Guam. Three US military bases are located on the island. According to the Korean Central News Agency, Kim inspected the ground test of the solid fuel engine of this missile.