The warheads unique characteristics
presented several challenges. Some of the
firsts were the new and unorthodox
design and construction of the test
arena. The test procedures and equipment, the warheads fragmentation data
collecting and the post-test data
processing to ensure the warheads
effects have been accurately
characterized, the air force explained in
the statement.
The air force's blast arena test arena
is essentially a heavily padded full or
semi-circle designed to catch blast
fragments and outfitted with an array of
cameras and sensors that track the
explosion and are used to gather exact
information on the blast characteristics
of a wide variety of explosives.
The AGM-183A air launched rapid response
weapon more commonly called the AGM-183A or simply ARRW as a hypersonic weapon
currently being developed for the u.s
air force by Lockheed Martin.
More specifically, it is a boost glide
type vehicle that similarly to
intercontinental ballistic missiles, depends on a solid fuel rocket type
booster to bring its explosive payload
into low earth orbit. When at the appropriate altitude, the
glide body essentially an unpowered
rectangular warhead, separates from its
rocket body and glides down earthward
towards its target.
Gliding is a bit of a misnomer, however
the glide body flies at mind-numbingly
high speeds. in the case of the arrw in excess of
mach 7 or 7 times the speed of sound.
At these incredibly high speeds, hypersonic weapons like the arw present
a very difficult target for anti-missile
defenses, as those systems are optimized
for tracking and shooting down targets
at sub-hypersonic speeds.
Some weapons the ar rw included are also
said to be highly maneuverable in their
terminal phase presenting an additional
challenge to anti-missile defenses. The air force's latest test success
comes on the heels of failure.
Earlier this spring the air force sought
to test the ARRW's rocket booster during
a controlled flight that was ultimately
unsuccessful.
The missile mated to AB-52H Stratofortress, failed to complete its
launch sequence it did not separate from
its missile pylon. Though still in its infancy, this latest AGM-183A ARRW test marks progress for
the program. The air force expects the arw to enter
service sometime in the early 2020s.
