US Finally Catching Up with Hypersonic Missiles?

First successful test by Air Force after US appearing to fall behind China, Russia, and even N. Korea.

The U.S. Air Force finally successfully tested its first air-launched hypersonic missile last week amid concerns Russia and China have also made progress in developing their own hypersonic weapons.

The Air Force confirmed it successfully tested its AGM-183A Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) booster on July 12 off the California coast.

The test concludes the booster test phase of the program and clears it for operational testing later in 2022, USAF said.

The ARRW, four of which can be carried on the pylons of a B-52 bomber, is planned to be USAF’s first operational hypersonic weapon, one that can fly in excess of Mach 5.