Lockheed Martin AGM-183 Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW)

The ARRW effort was dealt a blow after a March test was deemed unsuccessful. There have been at least two tests since then, including one in August and another in October, but the Air Force has provided few details about how well they performed.

“The rapid prototyping program is continuing. It’s been accomplishing flight tests, which has definitely been adding to our capabilities in the hypersonic realm. It adds to our understanding of … the capabilities that industry can provide, as it has provided under ARRW. And also adds to our ability to do test of hypersonic capabilities, which is really actually quite a key thing because the nature of hypersonic systems is they create a demand signal for a lot of new test capabilities, which we’ve been able to demonstrate with ARRW. And there will be more testing on ARRW in ‘24. So that effort does continue for the rapid prototyping program and testing,” Hunter told DefenseScoop.
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defensescoop.com

Air Force has ‘concerns’ about HACM; hasn't ruled out boost-glide hypersonic weapons

Air Force acquisition chief Andrew Hunter spoke with DefenseScoop about ARRW and HACM.
defensescoop.com defensescoop.com
 
I would appear that news of the ARRW's demise is premature, from Sandboxx:


In March 2023, Air Force acquisition executive Andrew Hunter told the House Armed Services Committee in no uncertain terms that the program for America’s first hypersonic missile – the AGM-183 ARRW – was effectively dead in the water following a series of high-profile testing failures. However, a January 2024 report published by the Pentagon’s Director of Operational Testing and Evaluation (DOT&E) suggests the rumors of ARRW’s death may have been exaggerated.
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With two tests completed since the Air Force declared it had no intention of purchasing the weapon, and a third scheduled for this year, it appears as though ARRW may yet have a path to service after all.
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Read our coverage on Sandboxx Newshttps://www.sandboxx.us/news/americas...
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sferrin said:
Skybolt carried a 1.2 Mt warhead so. . .
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I did say "Skybolt II" so there's no reason why it couldn't have a conventional warhead on the other a nuclear-armed variant with a W83 warhead could be developed.
 
A two-stage ARRW would be fairly large too and depending on the size of the payload either give a greatly extended range with the ARRW's waverider or the same range but with a much heavier payload.
 
sferrin said:
I don't think AARW has near the payload of Skybolt. Skybolt was a big weapon.
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It was quite old tech. though - range was quoted at 1850km (same as ARRW) - and W59s are only 250kg. Load 'em up inside a B-21 and you have a new air-launched deterrent that can appear from nowhere at any time.
en.wikipedia.org

W59 - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org
 
Yeah, the AGM-48A Skybolt had a design range of 1,000NM carrying the 550Lb W59 and while it was cutting edge technology in 1962 it's now old hat.
 
NMaude said:
Yeah, the AGM-48A Skybolt had a design range of 1,000NM carrying the 550Lb W59 and while it was cutting edge technology in 1962 it's now old hat.
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And yet we still have nothing that can duplicate it. We don't have a 1.2 Mt warhead/RV. We likely don't even know how to make one (realistically. Spending $10 billion only to cancel it doesn't mean we know how to make one.) Rocket propellant is rocket propellant. We've got lighter materials and better analytical tools though, so an 11,000lb "son of Skybolt" would be able to do a lot more, if it could be made affordable. But it would have nothing in common with ARRW.
 
sferrin said:
And yet we still have nothing that can duplicate it. We don't have a 1.2 Mt warhead/RV. We likely don't even know how to make one (realistically. Spending $10 billion only to cancel it doesn't mean we know how to make one.) Rocket propellant is rocket propellant. We've got lighter materials and better analytical tools though, so an 11,000lb "son of Skybolt" would be able to do a lot more, if it could be made affordable. But it would have nothing in common with ARRW.
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The W59 was used on MMIs, there's also the W56 to consider at 270kg, as used on MMIIs.
en.wikipedia.org

W56 - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

Total weight of Mk 5 RV for MMI was ~360kg (800kT, 377kg for the Mk 11A RV of the MMII (1.2MT).

National Museum of Nuclear Science & History | Photographs | Media Gallery

www.atomicarchive.com www.atomicarchive.com

Mk-4 is only 160kg RV weight (100kT).
 
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Forest Green said:
True, but the Nike Hercules intercepted an MGM-5 Corporal (which had a range of 130km) with a 502kg warhead, so it was more like an MLRS rocket than a true SRBM, whereas Iraq had modified Scuds with ranges of 644km and 950km.

Al-Abbas (missile) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org
en.wikipedia.org

al-Husayn (missile) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org
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True, and while it does look like it destroyed the rocket, it's not a given it destroyed the warhead.
Nike_Hercules_Corporal_intercept.jpg
 
A thing to remember about the Patriot Issues in Desert Storm was Performance.

But programming.

The timing gates for the radar had an error where the longer it ran the more desync the system became between search and tracking beams. To the point were the Track beams looked in the wrong direction missing the Scud.

Apparently the fix was a few digits of coding.

A simple screw up that cost lives due to inadequate testing which didn't catch it.

Thats been fix with the actaul Performance improved on.

Sadly shit like that be more common as more computers get instead and used.

Cause coding for this site is a fun scream feast.

Coding for AI Hypersonic WunderWeapon tracking?

Well Sailors are taking notes on the programers cursing.
 

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So familiarising them with the live version of a weapon that had supposedly been scrapped by many accounts. Well, nothing strange about that.
 
Forest Green said:
So familiarising them with the live version of a weapon that had supposedly been scrapped by many accounts. Well, nothing strange about that.
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But who are they really familiarising with it, given they're on Guam. I don't think it's simply the aircrew and the groundcrew.
 
Given the carriage configuration we've seen (two stowed nose to tail on the heavy stores adaptor beam), probably 4 max.
 

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