The conventional hypersonic missile test took place from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. (Photo: US DoD)
The US Army and US Navy (USN) have conducted the first live-fire of the Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon system using a battery operations centre and a transporter erector launcher.
The test was conducted by the army’s Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO) in collaboration with the USN Strategic Systems Programs (SSP), and involved a successful end-to-end flight test of a conventional hypersonic missile.
It was the second successful end-to-end flight test of the All Up Round (AUR) this year and took place from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida.
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Information gathered from this test will support the first army operational deployment of the common hypersonic AUR as well as a USN sea-based fielding.
Hypersonic systems are designed to fly at Mach 5 and provide a combination of speed, range, manoeuvrability and altitude that enables highly survivable and rapid defeat of time-critical and heavily-defended targets.
The development of the common hypersonic AUR will support the government’s National Defense Strategy and provide combatant commanders with diverse capabilities to sustain and strengthen integrated deterrence and build enduring advantages.
The US Army RCCTO and USN SSP programmes are partnered to rapidly field land and sea variants of a hypersonic weapon system that will meet critical joint warfighting needs.
The Department of Defense said: “The use of a common hypersonic missile and joint test opportunities allow the Services to pursue a more aggressive timeline for delivery and realise cost savings.
“The collaboration between RCCTO and SSP enables the Services to stay ahead of emerging threats and maintain a decisive advantage on the battlefield.”
The acquisition, which is part of the country’s broader defence package worth DKK58 billion (US$9.2 billion), goes against the grain with many other European countries opting for the US’s popular Patriot platform.
The UK’s Land Mobility Programme (LMP) seems set to be delayed once again but industry is jockeying for position to partner in what would be one of the biggest ever buys for the British Army.
AM General’s Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) A2 is in low-rate initial production and the company is looking for export orders, notably the UK’s Land Mobility Programme (LMP), to add to a recent approval for Canada to buy vehicles.
The UK’s Land Mobility Programme (LMP) to replace thousands of vehicles is in flux as the tender for the Light Mobility Vehicle segment planned for November is set to be missed. IDV Robotics’ Dr Geoff Davis is calling for the UK government to focus broadly on indigenous capability for procurement and to do it faster.
Avon Protection has been growing and improving its integrated systems offerings. Last year the company released its Exoskin total protective suit system and earlier this year the MITR-M1 half mask.
Elbit Systems UK was awarded the Dismounted Joint Fires Integrators (D-JFI) programme in January 2021, which will integrate with the UK’s army, marines and air force. The parent company has decades of heritage in the UK and is looking to compete for the Watchkeeper drone replacement.
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