“The Air Force conducted another successful hypersonic test off the Southern California coast on July 12, 2022. The Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon Booster Test Flight (BTF) -3 was the twelfth flight for the program and third release demonstration. The AGM-183A weapon system reached hypersonic speeds and primary and secondary objectives were met,” the statement said.
The test completes the series of booster tests and paves the way for a fully integrated testing later in the year, Program Executive Officer Brig. Gen. Heath Collins said in the statement.
The latest test of a hypersonic missile in June in the US state of Hawaii failed because of a malfunction during the ignition portion of the launch. The test marked the second unsuccessful attempt to launch the missile amid growing concerns in Washington that the main US rivals, Russia and China, are ahead of the United States in the development of hypersonic weapons. The first launch failed in October due to a malfunction in the boosters.
On May 14, the US air force conducted a successful test of the Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) hypersonic missile. The launc was carried out from the southern coast of California and the speed of the rocket was five times greater than the speed of sound.
