According to bloomberg reported on the 7th, in the case of three consecutive test launches of Lockheed Martin's air-launched hypersonic missiles, the United States' efforts to catch up with China and Russia in the development of hypersonic weapons may be hindered, which makes the company's research and development schedule very tight, and let the Pentagon announce that it will become the first war-ready hypersonic weapon in the United States, and approve the original target of early production before September 30 this year.
Infographic. Source: United States Air Force
China and Russia have test-fired and deployed such hypersonic weapons that are difficult to detect or intercept, while the United States still faces some obstacles in the development phase, and it is currently expected to cost at least another $1.4 billion to give it "early combat capability.", US media said. The Air Force has not released an estimate of the total cost of procurement, nor has it said how many such weapons it would like.
The latest obstacle to the development of air-launched hypersonic missiles in the United States is whether it can successfully conduct the fourth and fifth tests of its boosters by June 30, depending on the results of the failed review committee that should have been drawn at the end of last month. And if the booster test is successful as scheduled, it will be followed by a key flight test of the project between July and September to test a hypersonic missile that is fully operational. In addition, Lockheed Martin will complete a production readiness review to assess the ability to manufacture and integrate hardware delivery.
According to US media reports, the development of hypersonic "air-launched rapid reaction weapons" (ARRW) is a project of the US military that intends to catch up with China and Russia in the shortest possible time in this field. The weapon was dropped by the B-52H bomber and accelerated by a booster engine, where the glider separated from the booster and flew at hypersonic speed toward the target.
The report pointed out that Russia has deployed the "Vanguard" hypersonic gliding vehicle and the "Zircon" hypersonic anti-ship and ground-attack missiles. Russian Defense Minister Shoigu said hypersonic weapons will be at the heart of Russia's future non-nuclear deterrent capabilities. According to the commander of the U.S. Strategic Command, China is also investing heavily in hypersonic weapons, and last year test-fired hypersonic weapons that flew more than 40,000 kilometers in more than 100 minutes.
Heidi Shyu, the deputy secretary of defense for research and engineering, said through a spokesperson that she "supports the Air Force's efforts to actively accelerate development," but that "taking Sept. 30 as the date for announcing that combat capability has been achieved is a very radical timeline."
The Air Force's Program Office said it "continues to actively pursue early operational capabilities while maintaining a high standard of technical rigor." Although test launches have failed so far, "if future flight tests end as currently planned," "it is still possible to provide such capabilities by the end of 2022."
Jim Cooper, chairman of the House subcommittee overseeing the Air Force's program, has been skeptical of U.S. efforts to date in developing hypersonic weapons, particularly whether the Air Force can meet its intended goals this year. "The U.S. has a lot to do in catching up with China, and to regain the lead we've squandered since the 1970s, it will take more than just the September 30 press release [announcing combat capability," he said. ”
Cooper wrote in a statement that the Pentagon's hypersonic projects need "funding, engineering excellence, and rapid testing to begin to catch up with the same level [between China and Russia]." Even so, I'm still worried that the U.S. doesn't even know how to catch up, especially given the recurring failures. ”