Click to see full-size image
The US Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) plans to externally equip the B-1 Lancer bomber with hypersonic AGM-183 Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon.
AFGSC chief Gen. Timothy Ray said he sees a conventional version of the Long-Range Stand-Off weapon as a sensible approach to replacing the conventional Air-Launched Cruise Missile (ALCMS), in the case that a JASSM (Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile) ER replacement was necessary.
The AGM-183A ARRW is a hypersonic strike weapon being developed by Lockheed Martin for the U.S. Air Force (USAF). The weapon is a boost-glide hypersonic system and consists of a rocket booster and hypersonic glider warhead.
After being launched from an aircraft, the booster rocket accelerates to high speeds before releasing the hypersonic glide warhead payload which then glides unpowered to its target at hypersonic speeds up to Mach 20.
It has reportedly successfully passed several tests, and, so far, there’s only been photographs of it mounted to a B-52 Stratofortress, or not to anything.
The ARRW on a B-52 Stratofortress. Click to see full-size image
General Timothy Ray said that it was his plan to refurbish the B-1 Lancer bombers, including a modification that would open up eight external hardpoints on the bomber’s fuselage that were originally planned to carry two ALCMS each.
“My goal would be to bring on at least a squadron’s worth of airplanes modified with external pylons on the B-1, to carry the ARRW hypersonic cruise missile,” Ray said. A B-1 squadron typically has 18 aircraft.
Some airplanes “will need significant structural work,” Ray said. “We can do smart things, and we’ve got support from Congress to do this. This is a thing that we’re working to get ourselves through. We’ve had a very good dialog.”
Modifying the B-1s to carry the ARRW was not an item requested in the fiscal 2021 budget, Ray said, but it’s “a project we’re working on. There are several versions that we could contemplate, but we believe the easiest, fastest, and probably most effective in the short term will be to go with the external pylons.”
The ARRW, he said, is “a good weapon airframe and configuration match to get us quickly into that game.”
Ray further said that the ARRW is what the AFGSC would commit to, since their carriage capability is good for it.
The Air Force is also working on the Hypersonic Air-breathing weapon Concept, or HAWC, with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.
In addition to the B-1 Lancers, the B-52s would also be reconfigured to carry hypersonic weapons, according to Ray. Which is not surprising, since a B-52 is being used to test the ARRW.
Using the external hardpoints and the CSRL, a B-1 could conceivably carry 31 hypersonic missiles.
“The bomber world has been very good about combining and integrating operational and developmental test and leveraging the number of resources. And this was a conversation with [AFMC] … that we came to this solution set.”
Ray said AFGSC has not set a requirement for a conventional version of LRSO (Long-range Stand-off Weapon) to mirror the ALCM/Conventional ALCM USAF has operated for the last 30 years, but that it could potentially happen in the future.
“First things first: the ALCM is aging out on us,” and must be replaced, he said. But, “I’ve shot CALCM in anger…the utility of those is unquestionable.” He’s pleased with how LRSO is progressing—“I think that’s going to be a very, very good missile”—and if there was a sudden requirement for “an even longer-ranged cruise missile with conventional capability,” LRSO would be the place to start. However, Ray noted that changes to the program have to happen “within a treaty context.”
“Right now, we’re not asking for that, based on the prioritization of the nuclear piece, … but there’s things that could change in the future.”
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These missiles aren’t operational weapons systems. How long before they become operational is debatable. The US has had this technology for decades and still doesn’t have an operational system.
Fat chance now that all their Nazi scientists are dead. Local talent is lacking and they thought they could poach Chinese scientists for a while but that doesn’t seem to have worked out so well for them :)
Indeed. U.S. space program started to go belly up when nazi scientists from operation paperclip died out.
Looks like the Kh-47M2 Kinzhal.
Nah the Kinzhal is based on the Iskander and looks like a Center Punch. Also the above mentioned missiles are operational. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/5b0a8087542d019b6d0e3cbe3f6b83b7c3da3fe8752dec2a4cab04916545ae0b.jpg
Two replies to you deleted for unknown reason.
Do they seriously think of winning wars with propaganda, with weapons that exist only on paper? How far are the Americunts out of reality?
If successive USadmins hadn’t squandered their position and wealth, they wouldn’t now have a failing empire or be playing catch-up to a country they almost destroyed in the last century and through the 1990’s.
The US should be thankful that the Russian admin does not have a bloodlust or maniacs running their foreign policy.
Russia will be more gentle with the U.S. than the U.S. was with Russia in the 90s. Russia is love Russia is life.
Another world leading military appliance for America. No mention of production times, or even if it has a production line.
On paper, they are a hypersonic use military.
On paper, the USA has trillions of dollars, the best hypersonic missiles, the best stealth tech, the best tanks etc.
Lets hope they never fight someone with matches. lol
The U.S. is broke busted and disgusted. $24trillion National debt. $175trill in unfunded liabilities…
Don’t forget the 6 trillion Trump just gave to his buddies.
They must be running out of ink now.
Going on the US’s past form, these should be ready for the 300th anniversary, if America still exists…. I have my doubts that it will see its 250th !
They should first develop it lolz. At present the U.S. is stuck at Mach 4.5 and toy models…
Will be interesting to see the results and the performance penalty on the platform.