Armed Forces News

The Air Force successfully tested the first flight of a hypersonic weapon. During the June 12 test, an AGM-183A Air Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) was launched from a B-52 bomber at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. The prototype weapon carried only a sensor payload, which gathered data. Researchers planned to use the data to measure effects of environment and drag on the external carriage that carried the test weapon on the B-52.

The Air Force intends “to quickly bring hypersonic weapon capabilities to the warfighter,” said Will Roper, assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition. The service intends to field ARRW by sometime in 2022.