How US Hypersonic Missile Program Compares to Russia, China As Deal Struck
Summary
The U.S. military awarded Lockheed Martin a contract worth nearly $700 million to put the Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) into production. The move comes as the United States develops several hypersonic weapons programs and seeks to catch up with Russia and China, which have moved further ahead in developing these weapons.Key Facts
- ARRW is designed to launch from U.S. Air Force aircraft.
- The Air Force had moved to cancel ARRW development in 2023 after several test failures.
- The U.S. has no operational hypersonic weapons, according to the article.
- Hypersonic weapons can travel at more than five times the speed of sound; some can maneuver in flight, making interception difficult.
- The Army and Navy are jointly developing the Dark Eagle/Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon, also known as Conventional Prompt Strike.
- The Navy canceled its planned HALO hypersonic missile in 2024 because of cost.
- A Government Accountability Office estimate puts the cost of a hypersonic missile at nearly $70 million, compared with about $4 million for a Patriot interceptor or Tomahawk cruise missile.
- The article says the Trump administration has proposed raising annual U.S. military spending to $1.5 trillion, with about $38 billion for hypersonic programs.
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