US (& Allies) Hypersonic developments and missiles

Features of the American hypersonic missile AGM-183A ARRW

The American magazine "Air Force Magazine" in the material John A. Tirpak "Buff Up. Another decade of enhancements will give the B- 52 three more decades of power", on the program of the US Air Force to modernize the strategic bomber Boeing B-52H Stratofortress, first reported the official characteristics of the American promising hypersonic air-launched missile AGM-183A ARRW (Air Launched Rapid Response Weapon, also used by the acronym Arrow), created by the Lockheed Martin Corporation and which should become the first model of hypersonic weapons in service with the US Air Force.

Preliminary characteristics of the AGM-183A ARRW missile in an interview with Air Force Magazine were revealed by US Air Force Major General Andrew J. Gebara, director of strategic plans, programs and requirements, Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). According to him, “this product can fly almost 1000 miles in 10-12 minutes, this is amazing.” When it comes to land miles, this gives a maximum firing range of about 1600 km and a warhead speed between M = 6.5 and M = 8. Earlier, even the approximate characteristics of ARRW were not disclosed.

Major General Andrew Gebara also announced that the B-52 will be capable of four external ARRW missiles - two on each pylon. In September, US Air Force Strategic Command Commander General Timothy W. Ray said the ARRW missile could achieve initial operational readiness (IOC) status within "the next two years."

Recall that structurally ARRW is a solid-fuel air-launched missile with a warhead in the form of a detachable hypersonic warhead with a Tactical Boost Glide (TBG) rocket engine, which has been created for some time under the auspices of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) of the US Department of Defense. Strategic bombers B-52H and B-1B should be equipped with a missile as a matter of priority, while it was reported that it is being created in both non-nuclear and nuclear versions.

Presumably, the first aerodynamic tests of the TBG warhead were carried out in March 2019. In 2019 and 2020, the US Air Force conducted three aerodynamic tests (without reset) of the AGM-183A ARRW on a B-52H aircraft. The first flight test of the rocket is scheduled for late 2020.

The initial phase of ARRW R&D was carried out by Lockheed Martin under a $ 480 million contract issued by the US Air Force in August 2018, which is due to be completed by December 2021. In December 2019, the US Department of Defense issued a new contract to Lockheed Martin for the full-scale development, testing and preparation for serial production of the ARRW missile, totaling $ 988.832 million.The work should be carried out very quickly and be completed by December 31, 2022.

In June 2020, it became known that the US Air Force plans to purchase eight prototypes of the ARRW rocket for flight tests (four for testing and four spare), with flight tests in 2021 and 2022 fiscal years and the beginning of the arrival of the rocket into service (meaning the transfer for this four spare experimental missiles) from the beginning of the 2023 financial year (that is, from October 1, 2022 calendar year). Earlier, however, it was reported that the TBG block was delayed by about a year.

It should be noted that this week, at the Association of the United States Army (AUSA-2020) annual convention in Washington, DC, Lockheed Martin first demonstratedImage of a self-propelled launcher of a promising ground-based hypersonic system being developed as part of the joint Operational Fires (OpFires) program of the US Army and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) of the US Department of Defense. Judging by the appearance and unofficial information, the OpFires system is actually a variant of the ARRW rocket with a ground launch. The image shows a launcher on a 10x10 vehicle chassis with three missile transport and launch containers, very similar to the ARRW, but apparently equipped with an additional booster stage. It is stated that the first flight test of OpFires is scheduled for December 2021.






https://bmpd.livejournal.com/4165629.html

The US Air Force announced the start of production of hypersonic missiles under the ARRW program
Today, 09: 21

The production of hypersonic missiles under the ARRW (Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon) AGM-183 program in the interests of the US Air Force is planned to be deployed in 2021 or 2022. Will Roper, Assistant Secretary of the US Air Force for Procurement, Technology and Logistics, announced this.

We are very close to launching the AGM-183, the first hypersonic weapon USA. This will happen in FY2022. To be placed on the B-52. This will provide us with the potential to deliver a quick strike out of the reach of weapons. (...) I think this creates a good dilemma for the opponent

- stated Roper.

According to him, the B-52H Stratofortress strategic bombers (four missiles for one strategist) will be the first to receive a hypersonic missile.

Earlier it was reported that the US Air Force and Lockheed Martin signed a contract worth $ 988,8 million to create a hypersonic missile ARRW (Airborne Rapid Response Weapon). The agreement includes a critical review of the ARRW project, support for testing and preparation of the complex for production.



In February of this year, Lockheed Martin announced the successful defense of the project of a promising hypersonic aeroballistic missile ARRW (Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon), which has been under development by order of the US Air Force since 2018. The missile should be ready by 2021, and the initial operational readiness by 2022. According to the company, work is progressing on schedule.

https://en.topwar.ru/178312-v-vvs-ssha-nazvali-sroki-nachala-proizvodstva-giperzvukovyh-raket-po-programme-arrw.html

Arrow wrote:It's amazing how the USA is going ahead with PowerPoint hypersonic technologies

There, I fixed it for you

I have been hearing about US hypersonic technology for decades. If they really had viable systems, then they would
not be scrambling to reboot them. Flip the switch and deploy. Instead we have pathetic excuses that multi-month
testing delays are due to pilot errors. This crap may work at the child-centered learning and participation trophy American
citizenry but it does not work on people with actual education in the relevant fields.

Bolton's drivel about Russia stealing precious US hypersonic tech is a clear indication that it is America that depends
on stealing Russian tech. I suspect that it was easier to steal from Russians in the past since there was real discontent
with the system. Things are different today.

They are not to blame, the dog ate their last hypersonic prototype

So their Standard Mk-41 launchers are too small for the missile boosters they need to launch these hypersonic weapons from...

It means all their in service ships with in service Mk-41 launchers wont be able to immediately use their new hypersonic missiles... they will have to be upgraded with larger tube launchers.

An overview of Lockheed Martin's hypersonic weapons for the U.S. Army

https://dambiev.livejournal.com/2217297.html

The first prototype of the American promising hypersonic aeroballistic missile AGM-183A ARRW (Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon) is prepared for independent flight. According to Flightglobal, the first flight of the rocket should take place before March 7, 2021.

https://en.topwar.ru/180557-vvs-ssha-nachinajut-letnye-ispytanija-prototipa-giperzvukovoj-rakety-agm-183a-arrw.html

Arrow wrote:The Americans say it has a range of 1600km and a speed of 25M.  These are impressive parameters that outclass Kindzal.  How was it possible that they could reach this speed in a Kindzal-sized projectile?

Because it is BS

Extracts from article

The U.S. Air Force has again pushed back the date for the first flight of its AGM-183A Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon, or ARRW. The launch was supposed to finally occur this week, after being delayed due to unspecified issues last year, but is now expected to take place sometime within the next month or so.

...................................................
However, the Air Force's disclosure that the BTF-1 launch will not include an actual boost-glide vehicle and that the simulated glider is supposed to break up shortly after it is released would seem to point to difficulties with the booster.

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/39634/agm-183-hypersonic-missile-to-make-first-flight-within-30-days-according-to-air-force

JohninMK wrote:Extracts from article

The U.S. Air Force has again pushed back the date for the first flight of its AGM-183A Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon, or ARRW. The launch was supposed to finally occur this week, after being delayed due to unspecified issues last year, but is now expected to take place sometime within the next month or so.

...................................................
However, the Air Force's disclosure that the BTF-1 launch will not include an actual boost-glide vehicle and that the simulated glider is supposed to break up shortly after it is released would seem to point to difficulties with the booster.

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/39634/agm-183-hypersonic-missile-to-make-first-flight-within-30-days-according-to-air-force

I hope they don't expect to sustain this running teasing action until they FINALLY manage to have a hypersonic weapon in some years right?

@Arrow,

There is a card game called bullshit. Basically it is like a lot of other games like Poker etc and you are dealt a hand to each player and then the bidding starts and the game is that whoever wins the bid has to win what they bid, so if you have a good spades hand you might start the bid at 4 Spades where spade cards are trumps and the jacks are bows... jack of clubs and jack of spades... etc etc... but the only way to make points is to win and the only way to win is to win the bid, so as the bidding goes up and up eventually you are going to bid something you cannot possibly make. For instance if I have the Jack of Hearts and the Ace of Hearts and the Jack of Diamonds and someone is bidding 5 Hearts I can say bullshit because you only get 5 cards and ace of hearts and the two red jacks are the three top cards in a Hearts hand that cannot be beaten.

The problem with the game is to win you need to offer the best deal... even if you can't deliver.

US MIC is in that position... they have said mach 25 because they already know of Russian systems entering service at mach 9 and mach 10 so if they say mach 7 then they wont get/keep the contract... Musk will probably claim he can do mach 30 easy and cheap too.

Observe that the only thing they are going to test is a freakin booster, but that did not work either... they are getting really pathetic with their hypersonic stunts

LMFS wrote:Observe that the only thing they are going to test is a freakin booster, but that did not work either... they are getting really pathetic with their hypersonic stunts

But they easily win the battle of renders. That is their true expertise as that is what they need to win money from the politicians. Experience over the past 50 years has demonstrated that they don't need to deliver what was promised in most cases as the product is never tested for real in open situations where they may be challenged.

They know that if hypersonics had to be used for real that they would all be dead from other systems, so who cares? Cut that invoice George!

Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon...

I'm pretty sure that rapid response weapon would not be air launched since it affects "rapid" part

Shouldn't truck, ship or silo launched weapon be more appropriate for rapid response?

PapaDragon wrote:

Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon...

I'm pretty sure that rapid response weapon would not be air launched since it affects "rapid" part

Shouldn't truck, ship or silo launched weapon be more appropriate for rapid response?

That's bullshit from the start. It will be launched like an ICBM so neither Russia nor China would know if it is a first nuclear strike against them. This thing could lead to a nuclear war.

PapaDragon wrote:I'm pretty sure that rapid response weapon would not be air launched since it affects "rapid" part

Shouldn't truck, ship or silo launched weapon be more appropriate for rapid response?

Meaning is secondary, the important part is the fancy acronym. See above, how to get funds from the politicians without good renders and sexy names??

Isos wrote:

PapaDragon wrote:

Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon...

I'm pretty sure that rapid response weapon would not be air launched since it affects "rapid" part

Shouldn't truck, ship or silo launched weapon be more appropriate for rapid response?

That's bullshit from the start. It will be launched like an ICBM so neither Russia nor China would know if it is a first nuclear strike against them. This thing could lead to a nuclear war.

If so Russia will treat it like one and counter launch. The utility of these weapons is not for a huge first strike aggressor like the US who has a ton of such weapons already, ICBM for example, it is for a small defender like Russia to punch above its weight in defence without going nuclear.

The United States recognized the lack of technology for creating hypersonic weapons

The United States recognized that the program for creating an American hypersonic weapons faces a number of problems related to the lack of technology for this. This is the conclusion made by the authors of the report published on Monday by the US General Administration of Oversight (GAO, a body of Congress).


The document, entitled Hypersonic Weapons, says the United States may be late in implementing a hypersonic weapons program due to a lack of "critical technology." It is noted that since the start, the Pentagon representatives have managed to overcome "a number of problems", but many associated with the technical complexity of hypersonic systems still remain unresolved.

We identified a number of key technologies that were not sufficiently developed by the time the program was launched, which can create obstacles to the implementation of the program's objectives.

- the report says.

Earlier, the United States admitted that they are significantly lagging behind Russia and China in the creation of hypersonic weapons. As you know, at present, the development of American specialists is focused on the creation of hypersonic weapons for submarines (Conventional Prompt Strike), the Ground Forces (Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon) and the Air Force (AGM-183 Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon).

The Pentagon plans to receive the first production samples of new weapons by 2024.

https://en.topwar.ru/181162-v-ssha-priznali-nedostatok-tehnologij-dlja-sozdanija-giperzvukovogo-oruzhija.html

I hope they are not planing to spend the best part of this decade trying to imitate Kinzhal...

I was told by Bolton that Russia stole the US hype-er-sonic technology. Why would Russia have deployed systems (extensively tested),
but the USA is bitching about some gap?

How could it be possible that the country that claims to be number one in freaking everything (must include SJW depravity) is lacking?

We identified a number of key technologies that were not sufficiently developed by the time the program was launched

But all those demonstrators already proved that you had this technology....

Clearly Elon Musk is the poster child for the US MIC.

Sadly we are a victim of our own culture... it is the salesman that rises to the top... the Musks and the Trumps, and we end up giving them money and power thinking they can solve all our problems but they never do and are not even interested in doing so...

Everyone has the solution yet all the solutions are different... no body seems interested in discussing issues and working out solutions that might work for more than just the people coming up with the solution...