The US Air Force recently conducted a test of a hypersonic cruise missile in the Pacific for the first time, signaling its continued presence in the competitive weapons arena. The test involved a B-52 bomber launching a full prototype operational hypersonic missile known as the All-Up-Round AGM-183A Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) from Andersen Air Force Base on Guam.
The hypersonic weapon, which consists of a rocket booster motor and a hypersonic glide vehicle carrying a conventional warhead, was tested at the Reagan Test Site on Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. Hypersonic glide vehicles travel at speeds exceeding Mach 5, making them challenging to detect and intercept in time, as well as capable of maneuvering and varying altitude to evade missile defense systems.
