ARRW to undergo long-awaited first booster test
After repeated false starts, first test flight of AGM-183A Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon is scheduled for this month.
The Armament Directorate in the USAF Life Cycle Management Center announced on 5 March that the first booster test flight (BTF-1) of the AGM-183A Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) is expected ‘in the next 30 days’.
The ARRW test missile was delivered to Edwards Air Force Base on 1 March for loading on a B-52H Stratofortress.
Work is under way on pre-flight ground tests ‘and checks to obtain certification for the flight to proceed as scheduled’, the USAF added.
BTF-1 was originally scheduled for December 2020 before being pushed back to the first week of March 2021. No official explanation was given as to why the test launch has been repeatedly delayed.
Meanwhile, the Materials and Manufacturing Directorate in the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) awarded SpaceX an $8.5 million manufacturing research contract for hypersonic vehicle thermal shields.
‘The objective is to refine thermal protection system manufacturing technologies to enable low-cost, high volume production of next-generation thermal protection systems,’ according to the contract notice.
SpaceX is already expanding heat shield production facilities for its Starship reusable launch vehicle.
The AFRL aims to test additive manufacturing and other advanced techniques for hypersonic air and space vehicles, to see if they can shield them from the extreme heat generated in ballistic re-entry.
As part of our promise to deliver comprehensive coverage to our Defence Insight and Premium News subscribers, our curated defence news content provides the latest industry updates, contract awards and programme milestones.
More from Air Warfare
-
![Eurosatory 2026: How the deep-strike, loitering munition market skyrocketed to $13.8 billion in three years]()
Eurosatory 2026: How the deep-strike, loitering munition market skyrocketed to $13.8 billion in three years
Ukraine’s rapid development of long-range, deep-strike loitering munitions has helped turn the sector into a market worth an estimated US$13.2 billion. The reasons behind this were outlined during Eurosatory 2026, as other countries embark on the early stages of procuring this capability.
-
![Eurosatory 2026: Why security agencies are expanding UAS operations across Europe]()
Eurosatory 2026: Why security agencies are expanding UAS operations across Europe
Uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) are an increasingly important tool for Europe’s law enforcement and public security agencies, with the past two years seeing rapid growth in operational deployment, procurement and regulatory acceptance.
-
![Fuselage of the first US Army MV-75 Cheyenne tiltrotor “is nearing completion”]()
Fuselage of the first US Army MV-75 Cheyenne tiltrotor “is nearing completion”
Bell is advancing construction of the US Army’s next-generation MV-75 Cheyenne tiltrotor as FLRAA programme approaches testing, production and future battlefield deployment.
-
![Eurosatory 2026: L3Harris prepares ground for future Polish AEW&C replacement]()
Eurosatory 2026: L3Harris prepares ground for future Polish AEW&C replacement
L3Harris is positioning its AERIS X aircraft and a planned Polish industrial partnership as it anticipates a competition to replace Poland’s Saab 340 fleet.
-
![Eurosatory 2026: France presses ahead with A400M ISR fleet upgrades]()
Eurosatory 2026: France presses ahead with A400M ISR fleet upgrades
Airbus Defence and Space and OCCAR (Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation) signed a contract at Eurosatory to develop new capabilities for the French Air Force’s A400M aircraft.
