Successful test for U.S. hypersonic missile

The U.S. Air Force has successfully tested its first air-launched hypersonic missile amid concerns Russia and China have also made progress in developing their own hypersonic weapons


B-52H Stratofortress: Primary launch platform for ARRW. Bomber can carry up to four missiles – two under each wing

AGM-183A
Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW)

First stage: Solid-fuel rocket booster launched from aircraft, accelerates to more than Mach 5 (6,125km/h)

Second stage: Warhead detaches and glides unpowered to target at speeds up to Mach 20 (24,696km/h), creating impact equivalent to powerful bomb


Flight trajectory is much flatter and lower than high arching path of ballistic missile, making it harder to detect and intercept


Sources: U.S. Air Force, Lockheed Martin 
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