US Hypersonic Missile Test Fails for Third Time

WASHINGTON – Prototype trial hypersonic missile AGM-183A Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) by the Air Force United States of America (USA) failed for the third time. The prototype weapon did not want to be separated from the wings of the B-52H bomber.

This series of failures can add to frustration within the US military and Congress about progress or lack thereof.

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Air Force Life Cycle Management Command Armament Directorate confirmed to The War Zone, Saturday (12/18/2021) that the ARRW test flight failed on December 15, 2021.

The Air Force said it had not determined the cause of the problem. The service confirmed that the ARRW prototype never left the wings of the B-52H bomber that carried it.

“On December 15, 2021, the Air Force conducted a test flight booster AGM-183A Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) from the B-52 Stratofortress,” Brigadier General Heath Collins, US Air Force Program Executive Officer for Weapons, told The War Zone in a statement.

“The launch sequence was canceled prior to release with an unknown issue. Missile will return to factory and telemetry and data analysis onboard will start soon. The program will seek to resume test flights as quickly as possible.”

This comes about five months after the second attempt to conduct a test flightbooster ARRW rockets are not running smoothly.

The Air Force considers that the second test in July was partially successful, although the rocket did not fire as intended, as the prototype weapon was safely separated from the loaded B-52H bomber and provided an opportunity to evaluate other aspects of the launch procedure.

The Air Force’s first attempt came in April. In that case, as in this latest test, an unspecified issue forced the mission to be aborted and the weapon to remain in the B-52H’s wing at all times.

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