The U.S. Air Force used the B-52H bomber to complete the prototype test of the AGM-183A hypersonic weapon for the first time.

(The picture is taken from the official website of the US Air Force)

[Compile Chen Chengliang/Comprehensive Report] The U.S. Air Force announced on the 12th that it has completed the first "full ammunition" test of the new generation of "Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon" (ARRW) AGM-183A hypersonic missile, and achieved all the test plan goals. To demonstrate the practicability of this new weapon, related videos have been exposed, and the pictures are shocking.

The test was conducted by the 412th Test Wing of the US Air Force Edward Base on the 9th in the airspace off the coast of Southern California with B-52 "Stratofortress" (B-52 Stratofortress) bombers.

The U.S. military stated that previous tests focused on propelling rockets, but this time the first "all-up round" test means that the U.S. military is no longer testing boosters and simulated payloads, but complete missiles equipped with simulated warheads. Prototype missile.

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After the ARRW successfully separated from the B-52H bomber, it ignited the booster rocket and flew to the predetermined altitude, and the glide configuration bomb (HGV) loaded inside the missile body was separated immediately, and flew stably at a hypersonic speed exceeding 5 times the speed of sound, and Complete the scheduled flight path, detonate in the target area, and complete all design thresholds.

AGM-183A is a hypersonic missile jointly developed by the U.S. Air Force and military giant Lockheed Martin (Lockheed Martin for short) in 2018. It adopts a gliding body design and is also the first hypersonic missile developed by the U.S. military arms.

ARRW is expected to have a range of up to 1,600 kilometers, and its ultimate goal is to reach Mach 20. It will surpass the hypersonic weapons currently in service in China and Russia. It can be mounted and launched by bombers and fighter bombers such as B-1B, B-52H and F-15E.

According to the military news website "Breaking Defense", ARRW manufacturer Lockheed Martin is expected to start production in 2024 at the earliest.

A rendering of an AGM-183A releasing a warhead (tactical propulsion glide body) outside the atmosphere.

(The picture is taken from the official website of Lockheed Martin)