US Air Force says it conducted successful hypersonic weapon test

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Reuters

March 19, 2024 5:50 PM EDT


WASHINGTON, March 19 (Reuters) - The U.S. Air Force said on Tuesday it had conducted a successful test of an air-launched hypersonic weapon in the Pacific Ocean.

The test was conducted on Sunday after a B-52 bomber left the island of Guam carrying an Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW), the Air Force said in a statement.

Though the U.S. Air Force called the test a success, it did not disclose the speed the weapon flew. In past tests the ARRW has flown at least five times the speed of sound.

The United States is not alone in developing hypersonic weapons, whose speed and maneuverability make them difficult to track and intercept.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-air-force-says-it-conducted-successful-hypersonic-weapon-test-2024-03-19/

[Evolve Dammit]

1. Great. Now let's get them in service so we can catch up with RNK, Russia and China??? For full

disclosure I hate this escalation, but do we want to end up being on the receiving end, and major cities being smoking holes?
They already have these weapons.

[FredGarvin]

2. This is a hypersonic glide vehicle

Russia and North Korea don't have anything close to this system.

China, maybe.

Russia and NK have ballistic missiles.
Not considered hypersonic.

[Evolve Dammit]

6. I thought they used a hypersonic recently in Ukraine?

[JohnnyRingo]

3. Near 3,000 mph from what I'd heard.

Too fast to track and lock.

[FredGarvin]

4. 15,000 mph

Mach 20

[JohnnyRingo]

5. Oh!