US Air Force inches closer to hypersonic capability
Hypersonic weapons combine the speed of intercontinental ballistic missiles and cruise missile flight profiles, giving them an unparalleled combination of speed and manoeuvrability. (Photo: US DoD)
The US Air Force’s first hypersonic weapon is scheduled to be operational from the B-52 in the autumn of 2023.
Barksdale Air Force Base (AFB) personnel have taken the first steps toward fielding the USAF’s first air-launched hypersonic weapon, named the Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW), the USAF reported in early December.
Crew from the 2nd Maintenance Group of 207th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and civilians from the ARRW and B-52H Stratofortress Systems Programme Office validated loading procedures for what will be the B-52’s latest weapon.
The USAF said that the participants developed the standard methods for attaching the weapon to the aircraft and unloading it.
The ARRW travels five times the speed of sound, giving the USAF
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