After a series of setbacks due to testing failures, the US Air Force conducted the first successful test of a full air-launched hypersonic missile, demonstrating that American weapons are catching up to comparable Chinese and Russian capabilities.

The Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon, also known as the ARRW, was successfully test-fired off the coast of California on Friday, according to CNN.

The 96th Test Wing reported that an AGM-183A missile had reached hypersonic speeds of more than five times the speed of sound before exploding in the terminal region. The Air Force said all of its goals for the test of the US hypersonic missile were successful.

Similar to the two earlier booster tests, the latest trial of a fully functioning missile prototype, or what the Air Force refers to as an "all-up-round test," included the discharge of the prototype from a B-52 bomber that was flying off the coast of southern California.

.@TeamBarksdale Airmen recently helped develop standard procedures for the #USAirForce’s first air-launched, hypersonic weapon: the Air-Launched Rapid Response weapon (ARRW).https://t.co/UGdTUSZ8Rh@AFGlobalStrike

— U.S. Air Force (@usairforce) December 11, 2022

To propel a missile to hypersonic speeds, the ARRW boost-glide missile utilizes a booster rocket. After being released from the booster, the glide vehicle reaches its destination at hypersonic speeds because of inertia.

Overcoming Failures

According to Air Force Brig. Gen. Jason Bartolomei, the Armament Directorate Program's executive officer, "The ARRW team successfully designed and tested an air-launched hypersonic missile in five years."

The USAF official also stated that the team's hard work and commitment have helped give our warfighters a vital capability such as the US hypersonic missile.

The Air Force has put the ARRW missile project on hold due to repeated testing failures over the last year.
Last month, at the Wallops Flight Test Facility in Virginia, the United States military successfully launched a rocket equipped with parts for developing hypersonic weapons.

The US Army expects to have offensive US hypersonic missile strike capabilities operational by 2023, as per a report from Fox News. The Missile Defense Agency is actively involved in research and development tests for countermeasures against hypersonic missiles used by enemies.

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Catching Up with China, Russia

With Russia and China now fielding hypersonic systems in their militaries, the United States has lagged in the weapons development race, prompting the Pentagon to shift its focus toward forging such sophisticated weapons.

The US military currently is developing both air-launched and ground-launched hypersonic missiles, according to a report from ABC News published by MSN.

Russia has deployed air-launched hypersonic missiles, which are generally thought of as a long-range targeting option, to attack Ukraine.

Some have interpreted Russia's recent strikes as an attempt to showcase its cutting-edge military technology, while others have concluded that the country may be acting out of desperation because its supply of guided missiles has dwindled dramatically since the invasion started in February.

While the US hypersonic missile is being developed by Pentagon, China and Russia have also created their versions of hypersonic missiles, leading to the word hypersonic being used to denote a wide variety of various types of weaponry.

It was revealed in 2021 that China has developed a technology called a fractional orbital bombardment system that would be able to travel at hypersonic speeds while carrying a conventional or nuclear payload anywhere in the globe.

During that test, China fired a rocket carrying a glide vehicle capable of performing precise maneuvers while flying at high velocities.

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