The tests of the AGM-183A ARRW, manufactured by Lockheed Martin Corporation, on the coast of Southern California on December 9 were considered successful. The hypersonic cruise missile was launched from a B-52H Stratofortress strategic bomber permanently assigned to the 412th Test Wing at Edwards Air Force Base in California.
The GZKR prototype was dropped from a bomber, after which the solid propellant engine was started and the product rapidly accelerated to more than five times the speed of sound.
Completing its planned flight schedule, the missile was blown up in the last part of its trajectory. According to representatives of the US Air Force, initial telemetry results show that all test objectives have been met.
A promising American product was called ARRW (Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon), which can be translated as “Air-Based Rapid Response Weapon”.
“The ARRW team has successfully designed and tested an air-launched hypersonic missile within five years,” said Brigadier General Jason Bartolomei, executive director of the US Air Force weapons control program. His words were quoted by Defense News.
As the paper points out, Russia and China have invested heavily in the development of their own hypersonic weapons, and American designers and the military have come under pressure from both officials and the public, including lawmakers, to make significantly more progress in their hypersonic capabilities. .
Successful testing of the ARRW prototype marks a turnaround from the disappointing 2021 that has jeopardized all previous US development efforts, continuing the program’s successful test run into 2022.
In 2021, ARRW had three consecutive failed tests, all of which were related to problems with the sustainable engine starting process. In March of the same year, US lawmakers questioned the program and cut $161 million in funding for the project from the fiscal year 2022 budget, citing disruptions and delays in testing advanced weapons. The series of failures during the creation of the GZKR was interrupted in May by the successful test of the ARRW accelerator. Another successful test followed in July.
Tactical and technical specifications AGM-183A ARRW hypersonic missile Like this. According to the US Air Force, it can cover a distance of 1600 km in 10-12 minutes. This weapon will seriously compete with the Russian hypersonic missile “Zircon”, the range of which, according to some information, reaches 1000 km.
Structurally, the ARRW is a rocket consisting of a solid propellant booster and a floating warhead (without engine). After reaching a certain speed and altitude, the accelerator stops working and the wedge-shaped floating warhead continues to move towards the target at hypersonic speed.
Not so long ago, Department of Defense Advanced Research Projects (DARPA) announced that the Tactical Boost Glide (TBG) planning warhead could potentially reach the maximum speed of the M-20. Lockheed Martin Corporation is the prime contractor for both. It is assumed that the GZKR ARRW planning warhead is derived from the TBG program.
During flight tests in 2010 and 2011, a prototype hypersonic missile DARPA (Hypersonic Test Vehicle, HTV-2) – and this is another American wedge-shaped floating warhead – reached the top speed of the M-20.
In March 2020, the US Army together with the Navy successfully conducted the first flight tests of the hypersonic gliding warhead. According to the terminology adopted in the USA – Common-Hypersonic Glide Bode, C-HGB. It is believed that this device can improve the maximum speed of the M-17. After launch, the unit flew at hypersonic speed and hit the target at a certain point.
The successful launch of the hypersonic glide craft was carried out on March 19 at 10:30 PM local time from the Pacific Missile Range on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. The number one priority in US Army modernization is precision long-range shooting, and hypersonic improvements certainly fall into that category.
Lockheed Martin received a contract to develop the GZKR AGM-183A in 2018. The first test flight of the B-52H strategic bomber as an ARRW carrier was carried out at Edwards Air Force Base in California in June 2019.
The main carrier of the GZKR AGM-183A ARRW is still considered the B-52. The strategic bomber is particularly suited for this role compared to other existing American warplanes. The B-52 will be able to carry two ARRWs on each of the two underwing masts.
At the same time, together with the B-52, another version of the GZKR carrier AGM-183A ARRW is being considered – a supersonic strategic bomber with variable sweep wings B-1B Lancer (“Uhlan”) American Air Force. Equipping the B-1B with a hypersonic missile could lead to a sharp increase in the combat and operational capabilities of the US Air Force bomber.
“Adapting some of our most capable B-1B bombers for hypersonic use is vital. In essence, this is a transition from the bombers we have today to the air force of tomorrow,” said General Tim Ray, head of the US Air Force Strategic Command previously. B-1B strategic bomber It is assumed that the aircraft can carry four or more hypersonic missiles in the interior weapons bays.
The US military and developers are clear that regardless of what platform the ARRWs are deployed on, this type of GZKR will provide the US Air Force with new capabilities to attack well-defended targets at a critical time.
Combined with the high speed and atmospheric flight profile in a horizontal trajectory, a hypersonic missile will be able to maneuver in flight, making it even more difficult to hit enemy air defenses.
A flight range of 1600 km would allow the ARRW carrier to remain out of reach of enemy weapons, at least in most cases.
Hypersonic weapons is an area where the United States has concentrated its efforts, trying to stay on par with China and Russia.
“Hypersonic weapons will provide the US Army with critical combat capabilities to support the National Defense Strategy. We will fulfill the most important mission for our country by developing this strategic weapon system with the joint efforts of our industry partners and the Ministry of Defense.
The approximate performance characteristics of the domestic hypersonic missile “Zircon” are: firing range (according to various sources) – from 400 to 1000 km, product length – 8-10 m, speed – M-8 and more, warhead weight – 300 -400 kg . Test launches from the frigate “Admiral Gorshkov” of the Soviet Union Fleet confirmed the unique capabilities of this missile in terms of range and accuracy of fire, as well as hypersonic flight speed.