2024-03-22 00:58:15
New York: The world is becoming a battleground for superpowers in the field of hypersonic weapons. The U.S., which is at the front line in every field, is slightly behind its main rivals in this battle. Therefore, the US has intensified research and development projects in hypersonic missile technology to outpace rivals Russia and China.
Now, the U.S. military has confirmed that it has tested a strategic hypersonic missile that travels faster than the speed of sound. AGM-183 ARRW (Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon) was tested. The test was on March 17. The missile was launched from a B-52H bomber that took off from Anderson Air Force Base in Guam. After the reports about this spread, the army confirmed the test. At the same time, it is not clear whether the experiment was successful. Guam is a US-held island located in the Pacific Ocean near China.
After failures
AGM-183 ARRW has been tested by the US for the past few years. A live-fire flight test of a prototype missile was conducted in 2021. However, the test failed as the B-52H bomber carrying the missile malfunctioned and was unable to launch the missile.
The experiment was repeated that year. But it was also a failure. This time the missile was successfully separated from the B-52H bomber, but the rocket engine failed to ignite, a setback.
The ARRW is designed so that its rocket booster can be used to increase the speed of the glide vehicle – a V-shaped hypersonic boost placed inside the nose cone of the missile. The nose cone can provide the required height and speed. It then separates from the missile and the hypersonic boost-glide vehicle accelerates at hypersonic speeds along a fixed trajectory towards the target.
One of the three tests conducted last year failed. The US has not disclosed the details of two.
Russia ahead
Russia is far ahead of the US in hypersonic technology. Russia is armed with three lethal hypersonic weapons: Avangard, Zircon and Kinshal. In 2018, Russian President Vladimir Putin introduced the ‘Avangard’ nuclear hypersonic missile system to the world. Putin described their hypersonic weapons as invincible.
At the same time, China was also following Russia in its pursuit of hypersonic dominance. China has previously test-fired the DF-17 ballistic missile capable of carrying a hypersonic glide vehicle. China has also developed a hypersonic weapon called the Shing Kong-2.
With rivals North Korea and Iran also ramping up hypersonic tests, the U.S. is under increasing pressure to strengthen its defenses.
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