Lockheed Martin has completed a successful flight of an AGM-183A Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) at hypersonic speeds.

The ARRW took off from a B-52 bomber, the Stratofortress. The flight demonstrated the weapons capability of withstanding hypersonic speeds, and the safe separation from the aircraft.

Hypersonic technology has presented Lockheed Martin with difficult challenges as going Mach 5 generates extreme heat, which means materials used to build the weapon must all be able to withstand the heat and high speeds.

Mach 1 is the speed of sound at sea level. Mach 5 is five times the speed of sound at sea level, and is considered the threshold for hypersonic flight.

Hypersonic weapons are designed to provide fast response and move across long distances with good manoeuvrability. Additional test flights will be carried out throughout 2022 before Early Operational Capability (EOC) will begin in 2023.

“The need for hypersonic strike capabilities is critical to our nation and this successful test will help us to maintain an accelerated and rigorous timeline,” said Dave Berganini, vice president of Hypersonic and Strike Systems at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control.