Engineering:AGM-183A ARRW
| AGM-183A ARRW | |
|---|---|
 A prototype AGM-183A is pictured carried by a U.S. Air Force B-52 in a June 2019 test. | |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| Used by | United States (Anticipated) |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Lockheed Martin |
| Specifications | |
| Speed | Mach 20 |
Launch platform | B-1B/B-52/F-15 (theorized)[1] |
The AGM-183A ARRW, short for Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon, is a prototype hypersonic weapon planned for use by the United States Air Force . Developed by Lockheed Martin, the missile has a reported maximum speed of Mach 20. It has been theorized to be the "Super-Duper Missile" referred to by President of the United States Donald Trump during a May 2020 press availability.
History
Development and acquisition
In August 2018, the U.S. Air Force awarded a $480 million contract to Lockheed Martin for the development of an air-launched hypersonic weapon.[2] The resulting missile, the AGM-183A ARRW ("Arrow"), underwent an initial captive carry flight test aboard a U.S. Air Force B-52 in June 2019.[2]
In February 2020, the Trump Administration proposed a 23 percent increase in funding for hypersonic weapons and, the same month, the U.S. Air Force announced it had decided to move forward with acquisition of the AGM-183A.[3][4]
In March 2020, Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Michael D. Griffin stated that the United States was "close at hand" to having a hypersonic boost-glide weapon ready to field.[5]
Theorized relation to the "Super-Duper Missile"
A "Super-Duper Missile" was announced by US President Donald Trump during a press availability in the Oval Office on May 15, 2020.[6][7] According to Trump, the Super-Duper Missile is 17 times faster than existing missiles in the United States arsenal; however, Kingston Reif of the Arms Control Association believes the claim may have been a misstatement.[8][9][10] PBS news correspondent Nick Schifrin has theorized that the Super-Duper Missile is, in fact, the AGM-183A, as has the China Times.[11][12]
Design and performance
The AGM-183A has a maximum speed of 15,345 miles per hour (24,695 km/h).[13]
The weapon uses a boost-glide system, in which it is propelled to hypersonic speed by a rocket on which it's mounted before gliding towards a target.[3] According to Popular Mechanics, the U.S. Air Force was, as of April 2020, considering using the remaining fleet of B-1B bombers as AGM-183A firing platforms, with each aircraft carrying up to 31 of the weapons mounted internally and on external pylons.[13]
See also
References
- ↑ Tirpak, John A. (March 2, 2020). "Roper: The ARRW Hypersonic Missile Better Option for USAF". Air Force Magazine. https://www.airforcemag.com/arrw-beat-hcsw-because-its-smaller-better-for-usaf. "The reason we went with ARRW was not that HCSW was bad, but ARRW is smaller; we can carry twice as many on the B-52, and it’s possible it could be on the F-15"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Pawlyk, Oriana (June 18, 2019). "In First, Air Force Flies Hypersonic Missile Prototype on B-52 Bomber". military.com. https://www.military.com/daily-news/2019/06/18/first-air-force-flies-hypersonic-missile-prototype-b-52-bomber.html. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Tirpak, John (March 2, 2020). "Roper: The ARRW Hypersonic Missile Better Option for USAF". Air Force Magazine. https://www.airforcemag.com/arrw-beat-hcsw-because-its-smaller-better-for-usaf/. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
- ↑ Sanger, David E. (February 10, 2020). "Trump Budget Calls for New Nuclear Warheads and 2 Types of Missiles". New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/10/us/politics/trump-budget-nuclear-missiles.html. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
- ↑ Harper, Jon (March 4, 2020). "Just In: Pentagon to Spend Billions Mass-Producing Hypersonic Weapons". National Defense Magazine. https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2020/3/4/pentagon-to-spend-billions-mass-producing-hypersonic-weapons. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
- ↑ Pickrell, Ryan (May 15, 2020). "Trump says the US is building a 'super-duper missile' that is much faster than anything it has now". Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-says-us-building-what-he-calls-super-duper-missile-2020-5. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
- ↑ Johnson, Marty (May 16, 2020). "Trump touts new 'super-duper' missile that can allegedly travel 17 times faster than current missiles". The Hill. https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/498148-trump-touts-new-super-duper-missile-that-can-allegedly-travel-17. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
- ↑ Choi, David (May 19, 2020). "Trump's boasts about 'super-duper' missiles reflect misunderstanding of what those weapons actually do". Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/trumps-super-fast-and-super-duper-missile-confusion-2020-5. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
- ↑ Browne, Ryan (May 16, 2020). "Trump touts new 'super duper' missile but Pentagon won't confirm details". CNN. https://edition.cnn.com/2020/05/16/politics/trump-super-duper-missile/index.html. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
- ↑ "Trump says US developing a 'super duper missile'". Times of Israel. Associated Press. May 16, 2020. https://www.timesofisrael.com/trump-says-us-developing-a-super-duper-missile/. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
- ↑ Schifrin, Nick. "For those interested, the aforementioned super duper missile AGM-183 Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon hypersonic". @nickschifrin. Twitter. https://twitter.com/nickschifrin/status/1261371357880696832. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
- ↑ "川普：美國將有「超級飛彈」速度超乎想像" (in zh). China Times. May 18, 2020. https://www.chinatimes.com/realtimenews/20200518004347-260417?chdtv. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Mizokami, Kyle (April 9, 2020). "The B-1 Bomber Might Start Slinging Hypersonic Missiles". Popular Mechanics. https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/aviation/a32096936/b-1-bomber-hypersonic-missiles/. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
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