US Air Force Launches First Hypersonic Missile with Unknown Velocity
The USA launched the first hypersonic missile prototype AGM-183A developed by Lockheed Martin. Although it is said that the missile can reach a speed of 20 Mach, the speed of the AGM-183A is not officially known.
The United States Air Force (USAF) has successfully tested its first prototype hypersonic missile. The full name of the tested missile is AGM-183A Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon, or ARRW for short, while Lockheed Martin is in the signature part of the missile.
Missile Reached 5 Times the Speed of Sound
Although the exact speed of the AGM-183A is not known, it is stated that the Lockheed Martin signed weapon was able to reach a maximum speed of Mach 20 in another test claimed by DARPA. In the meantime, let’s also mention that March 20 means a speed of 24,000 km per hour.
According to the statement made by the US Air Force, on December 9, the first successful test of the ARRW was carried out off the coast of Southern California. “Following ARRW’s separation from the aircraft, it reached hypersonic speeds of more than five times the speed of sound, completed its flight path and exploded in the terminal area. Indicators show all targets achieved,” the press release said.
On the other hand, the AGM-183A has been undergoing flight tests since April 2021, but it was known that a series of unsuccessful tests were carried out due to the missile’s igniter problems and the future of the program began to be doubted. It was even on the agenda that the Air Force would abandon the purchase. However, this successful test program has brought it to a valuable point again.