The United States Air Force’s ambitious hypersonic weapons program, the Advanced Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW), has come to an end after a series of failed tests. The program, which was intended to develop a hypersonic missile capable of traveling at speeds of up to Mach 5, was launched in 2018 with the goal of providing the US with a new capability to strike targets anywhere in the world within minutes.
However, the program has been plagued by a series of setbacks, including a failed test launch in August 2020. The test was intended to demonstrate the missile’s ability to reach hypersonic speeds, but the missile failed to reach its intended target and crashed into the Pacific Ocean. This was followed by another failed test in December 2020, which resulted in the missile crashing into the Indian Ocean.
The ARRW program was part of the US military’s effort to develop a new generation of weapons capable of striking targets at hypersonic speeds. The program was seen as a key part of the US’s efforts to maintain its military superiority in the face of growing competition from China and Russia, both of which have been developing their own hypersonic weapons.
Despite the setbacks, the US military has not given up on the idea of hypersonic weapons. The US Navy is currently developing its own hypersonic missile, the Naval Strike Missile, which is expected to be ready for deployment by 2022. The US Air Force is also continuing to develop its own hypersonic weapons, including the Hypersonic Conventional Strike Weapon, which is expected to be ready for deployment by 2023.
The failure of the ARRW program is a setback for the US military, but it is not the end of the road for hypersonic weapons. The US military is continuing to invest in the development of these weapons, and it is likely that they will eventually become a reality. In the meantime, the US will have to rely on other weapons systems to maintain its military superiority.