The U.S. Air Force has again failed flight tests of a prototype hypersonic missile AGM-183A Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW), The Drive reported.
The tests were carried out on the B-52H Stratofortress strategic bomber in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of California. The rocket was safely separated from the aircraft, but the engine did not start. According to the military, despite the technical problems of the engine, during the launch it was possible to obtain “valuable data”: in previous flight tests, the prototype did not separate from the carrier aircraft.
A hypersonic missile developed by Lockheed Martin, due to its technical characteristics, is capable of speeds in excess of 15 thousand miles per hour. It is equipped with a jet engine with a controlled warhead. The media noted that the AGM-183A can fly in 30 minutes to Beijing, and to Moscow in 20 minutes.
Washington expects to spend $ 3.2 billion on hypersonic weapons research alone. This amount exceeds the total defense spending of the vast majority of countries.