The US Air Force called the trial a ‘major accomplishment’ after a series of failed launch tests
The US military said it carried out a test for a hypersonic missile system, claiming the new weapon reached speeds greater than five times the speed of sound. It marked the first successful launch for the prototype following three fizzled tests.
The Air Force announced the test on Monday, saying it was conducted over the weekend near Edwards Air Force Base in California. The trial saw a B-52 Stratofortress bomber release an AGM-183A Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) off California’s southern coast.
“Following separation from the aircraft, the ARRW’s booster ignited and burned for expected duration, achieving hypersonic speeds five times greater than the speed of sound,” the military said, while Brigadier General Heath Collins, the Air Force program executive officer for weapons, called the test a “major accomplishment.”
Though the…
