The December 9 tests of the AGM-183A ARRW, developed by Lockheed Martin, off the Southern California coast were deemed successful. The hypersonic cruise missile was launched from a B-52H Stratofortress, a long-range bomber assigned to the 412th Test Wing at Edwards Air Force Base in California.
The GZKR prototype was released from a bomber, then the solid propellant booster fired and the weapon accelerated to more than five times the speed of sound. After completing its planned flight path, the missile was deliberately detonated at the end of its trajectory. Initial telemetry reported by United States Air Force representatives indicated that all test objectives had been met.
The ARRW, short for Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon, is presented as a platform for rapid projectile delivery from the air, a capability that has spurred considerable interest in modern defense circles. “The ARRW team has successfully designed and tested an air-launched hypersonic missile within five years,” stated Brigadier General Jason Bartolomei, executive director of the US Air Force weapons control program, a remark cited by defense coverage.
As noted in coverage, both Russia and China have heavily invested in hypersonic weapons, which has increased pressure on American engineers and military planners—along with lawmakers and officials—to press forward more quickly with hypersonic capabilities.
The successful ARRW prototype marks a pivot from a disappointing 2021, which had threatened to derail prior development efforts and cast a shadow over subsequent testing into 2022. In 2021, ARRW endured three consecutive test failures tied to engine start issues. Lawmakers questioned the program and reduced a portion of its funding for fiscal year 2022, citing testing disruptions. The trajectory of the program was seen as interrupted until a key accelerator test was achieved in May, followed by another in July.
The tactical and technical profile of the AGM-183A ARRW places its estimated range at about 1600 kilometers, with flight times of roughly 10 to 12 minutes. This speed and reach position it as a strong competitor to other hypersonic missiles, including reports of the Zircon system from Russia, whose range has been variably cited around 1000 kilometers.
Structurally, the ARRW comprises a solid-propellant booster and a gliding warhead without its own propulsion. Once the weapon reaches the target plane and speed, the booster detaches and the glide warhead continues toward the target at hypersonic velocity.
DARPA’s Tactical Boost Glide program, and the related HTV-2 project, have provided a historical backdrop for these efforts, with Lockheed Martin serving as the prime contractor on related developments. The GZKR carrier is understood to have theoretical lineage from the TBG work.
Earlier demonstrations, including DARPA’s hypersonic test vehicles in 2010 and 2011, showcased extreme speeds achieved by wedge-shaped warheads. In a March 2020 collaboration between the Army and Navy, the early glide missile tests illustrated the potential for rapid, precise long-range effects. The March demonstration occurred at the Pacific Missile Range facility on Kauai and highlighted the military emphasis on rapid, precise strike capabilities as a modernization priority.
Lockheed Martin began work on the GZKR AGM-183A in 2018, with the first B-52H flight carrying an ARRW demonstrator occurring at Edwards AFB in June 2019. The B-52 remains the primary carrier for the system, with each aircraft envisioned to carry multiple missiles on dedicated underwing stations.
Alongside the B-52 concept, consideration has also been given to a variant using a supersonic strategic bomber with variable-sweep wings, the B-1B Lancer. Equipping the B-1B with hypersonic missiles could significantly enhance the bomber’s reach and operational tempo.
Senior military leadership has endorsed a path that seeks to adapt capable platforms for hypersonic use, emphasizing future air power while leveraging current bomber assets. General Tim Ray previously highlighted this as a bridge from today’s bombers to an air force of tomorrow, with the B-1B potentially carrying several missiles inside payload bays.
Regardless of platform, the ARRW concept aims to provide the United States Air Force with new capabilities to strike well-defended targets at crucial moments. Its combination of high speed and a horizontal flight profile enables in-flight maneuvering, complicating defense systems and complicating interception.
A practical range of about 1600 kilometers would keep ARRW carriers out of many adversary engagement envelopes under typical conditions. This effort sits within a broader U.S. push to maintain parity with ambitious hypersonic programs abroad, notably in China and Russia.
Officials have framed hypersonic weapons as a core element of national defense strategy, underscoring the importance of sustained collaboration among industry partners and government agencies to realize these long-range capabilities. Estimates of Zircon, Russia’s hypersonic missile program, place the range somewhere between 400 and 1000 kilometers, with a length around 8 to 10 meters and a warhead mass near 300 to 400 kilograms, and naval launches have demonstrated the weapon’s potential across different platforms.
Related posts:
US hypersonic test advances ARRW program amid global competition Sivkov Compares Dagger and ARRW: Range, Speed, and Strategic Implications Hypersonic Programs Progress and Strategic Implications in North America Hypersonic Missile Test and Global Developments US hypersonic tests advance rapid strike concepts across platforms US Military Targets Hypersonic Deployment by 2023 Missile Tests, Hypersonics, and Global Reactions — A Modern Look Hypersonic Capabilities and the Public Conversation Around Russian Systems Strategic Missile Forces 2024: Planned Launches, Avangard Tests and Mobile Upgrades Hypersonic Test Plans Outline Surface Launch Strategy and Cross-Branch Efforts (Defense News) Avangard Hypersonic System—Overview and Strategic Implications Meta: Hypersonic Threats and Strategic Shifts in Modern Warfare