U.S. Air Force Continues to ‘Flip-Flop’ on its Leading Hypersonic Missile Program

<p >Uncertainty surrounding the future of the AGM-183A Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) hypersonic missile program designed for the U.S. Air Force increased significantly in late September, as the service awarded Lockheed Martin $13.4 million in additional funds for development. The missile program was previously considered one of the most promising to help narrow America’s hypersonic missile gap with China, Russia and North Korea, which all field missiles with <a href=" target="_blank">advanced hypersonic glide capabilities</a>. The AGM-183 had previously been reported canceled in March 2023 due to technical issues, before reportedly being revived due to the lack of viable alternative programs, and subsequently being again dropped from the Pentagon budget in March 2024. One of the missiles was launched from a B-52 bomber near Guam on March 17, 2024, which was seen as a show of force aimed at North Korea which was preparing for a <a href=" target="_blank">landmark test </a>of its own hypersonic glide vehicle that launched 13 days later. </p><p ><img src=" title="AGM-183 Prototype " ></p><p >The AGM-183 is a hypersonic boost-glide vehicle weapon, and uses a rocket booster to propel an unpowered glide vehicle to an optimal speed and altitude, before the vehicle glides at speeds of over Mach 5 and makes sudden manoeuvres to complicate potential enemy efforts to intercept them. The missile was long expected to be the first with hypersonic capabilities to enter service in a Western air force, although its problematic testing record reportedly led the Air Force to favour alternatives – namely air-breathing hypersonic cruise missiles which lack many of the AGM-183’s key technological challenges to develop. It has been speculated that additional funding for the program could be diverted to a classified follow on program, which is likely to benefit from testing of the AGM-183 but have a more conservative design that will be easier to operationalise. The missiles were previously expected to be deployed primarily by B-52 bombers, which has itself faced <a href=" target="_blank">serious delays a major cost overruns</a> in its modernisation, as well as <a href=" target="_blank">F-15EX fighters </a>which are the only Western fighter capable of effectively deploying such large munitions. </p>