The U.S. Air Force and Lockheed Martin said Monday have completed the second successful hypersonic air-to-ground weapon test on a B-52 Stratofortress bomber out of Edwards Air Force Base, Calif..
The second AGM-183A Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon, ARRW, was successfully flight tested Saturday, officials said.
The first sensor-only prototype of AGM-183A ARRW was carried externally by a B-52 during a successful flight test last year. Officials said at the time they had set an accelerated development schedule for the weapon system.
"We are in a competition and we must remain diligent in our efforts to stay ahead of our adversaries who are vigorously pursuing similar weapon systems," Gen. Arnold W. Bunch, Jr., Air Force Materiel Command commander, said in a statement.
"Across the enterprise, our research, acquisition and testing communities are well-coordinated to deliver critical hypersonic capabilities to the nation," Bunch said.
Hypersonic weapons can travel at five times the speed of sound or higher, denoted as Mach 5 and above, making them more difficult to intercept or defense against, military officials have said.
Hypersonic weapons are expected to provide the U.S. Air Force "time critical capability that will overcome distance in contested environments using high speed, altitude and maneuverability," Lockheed said in the statement.
"The team overcame significant challenges driven by the COVID-19 pandemic to achieve this significant milestone for the program," Dave Berganini, ARRW program director at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, said in a statement. "This captive carry mission is the precurser for our fire booster test flight planned for early 2020s."
Related Links
Rocket Science News at Space-Travel.Com
| Thanks for being there; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution. |
||
| SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5+ Billed Monthly |
 |
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal |
Key Connection for Artemis I Arrives at Kennedy
Kennedy Space Center FL (SPX) Aug 03, 2020
The second to last piece of hardware for the Artemis I test flight around the Moon has arrived at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The launch vehicle stage adapter (LVSA) connects the core stage of NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket to the upper stage, called the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage. The cone-shaped connector also helps protect the RL10 engine housed in the upper stage, which will provide the power necessary to leave Earth's orbit and send the Orion spacecraft on i ... read more
from Military Space News, Nuclear Weapons, Missile Defense https://ift.tt/3itewwN
via space News
No comments: