The test’s results could determine the ultimate fate of the Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon, or at least help “further a range of hypersonic programs.”
By Michael MarrowGA-ASI’s MQ-9B: The right UAV for persistence, power, and performance
When assessing the state of the art of unmanned aerial systems, it’s critical to be very clear about what various aircraft can and can’t do – and could never do.
Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall last year said the service was “more committed” to the Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile than the service’s other fast-flying design, the Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon.
By Michael Marrow
“We’re very, very fixated on being competitive with the pacing challenge [of China],” said Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall. “I think the budget that we’ve submitted moves us forward — not quite as fast as we would like to, but it moves us forward in the right direction while maintaining current capabilities that are essential to the nation.”
By Michael Marrow
The Air Force fired another all-up round test of the Lockheed Martin-made ARRW, but like a previous test that a top official later admitted fell short of its goals, the service won’t claim that this test met all its objectives.
By Michael Marrow
Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall told lawmakers Thursday that the service will make a decision on buying the hypersonic weapon after its prototyping phase concludes, a position seemingly at odds with testimony previously provided by the service’s acquisition lead.
By Michael Marrow
The news comes after the Air Force’s top civilian revealed Tuesday that the missile’s most recent all-up-round test “was not successful” but stopped short of saying the service wouldn’t buy it.
By Michael Marrow
Following a recent disclosure by the Air Force that suggested the new hypersonic missile came up short during testing, Secretary Frank Kendall told lawmakers the service was “more committed” to another hypersonic program.
By Michael Marrow
New Army mounted system won’t play favorites when it comes to C5ISR, EW and A-PNT
The CMOSS Mounted Form Factor will facilitate tech insertion for new capabilities while co-existing with the Mounted Family of Computer Systems.
An Air Force press release said that the missile was launched in a second all-up-round test and met “several objectives,” but conspicuously left out claims of overall success.
By Michael Marrow
Seeking to pivot to a new generation of air power by fielding platforms like the Next Generation Air Dominance Fighter, the Air Force is planning significant investments into future technologies, according to service budget documents, which also show that fiscal 2024 could be a turning point for hypersonics.
By Michael Marrow
If HACM development continues to progress, the weapon could become the first scramjet-powered, hypersonic air-launched cruise missile to be introduced into the Air Force’s inventory.
By Valerie Insinna The Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile program, although nascent, is “going pretty well,” program executive Brig. Gen. Heath Collins told Breaking Defense in an exclusive interview.
By Valerie Insinna
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Because DARPA’s Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept doesn’t exit and re-enter the atmosphere like boost-glide hypersonics, it is less reliant on costly exotic materials for thermal management.
By Breaking Defense
The Air-Launched Rapid Response weapon is getting $46.6 million in FY23 to continue development, but the future of the program remains cloudy.
By Valerie Insinna “I’m not satisfied with the pace,” Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said. “We’re making some progress on the technology; I would like to see it be better.”
By Theresa Hitchens and Aaron Mehta
