Jump to content

Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon deployed to Cape Canaveral for testing
Place of originUnited States
Service history
In service2023–present[1]
Used byUnited States Army[2]
United States Navy(planned)
Production history
ManufacturerLockheed Martin
Unit cost$41 million[3][4]
Specifications
Mass16,300 lb (7,400 kg)[1]
Diameter34.5 in (0.88 m)(reportedly)[5]
Operational
range
1875 mi (3000 km)[6]
Maximum speedMach17[7]

TheLong-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW)is amedium-rangesurface-to-surfacehypersonic weaponbeing developed for use by theUnited States Army.TheUnited States Navyintends to procure a ship/submarine-launched variant of the missile as part of the service'sIntermediate-Range Conventional Prompt Strike (IRCPS)program.[2]The weapon consists of a largerocket boosterthat carries the unpowered Common-Hypersonic Glide Body (C-HGB) in a nose cone. Once the booster reaches significant altitude and speed, it releases the C-HGB, which glides at hypersonic speeds as it descends towards its target.Dyneticswill build thehypersonic glide vehiclewhileLockheed Martinwill build the booster as well as assemble the missile and launch equipment.[8]

The C-HGB has been successfully tested twice, in October 2017 and March 2020.[9][10]The missile is planned to enter service with the Army in 2023.[11]The Navy intends to field the weapon aboard itsZumwalt-class destroyersby 2025[11]and later on its Block VVirginia-class submarines[12]in 2028; it was intended to also be fielded on guided missile variants of theOhio-class ballistic missile submarines,but funding delays and the boats' impending retirement caused those plans to be scrapped.[13]

Development and testing[edit]

Common-Hypersonic Glide Body[edit]

In 2018, the Navy was designated to lead the design of the Common-Hypersonic Glide Body with input from the Army's Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office.[14]

Design[edit]

A 2020 test launch of aSTARS boostercarrying a prototype of the Common-Hypersonic Glide Body

The design of the Common-Hypersonic Glide Body is based on the previously developed Alternate Re-Entry System, which was tested in the early 2010s as part of the Army's Advanced Hypersonic Weapon program.[15][16]The Alternate Re-Entry System was itself based on the Sandia Winged Energetic Reentry Vehicle Experiment (SWERVE) prototype developed bySandia National Laboratoriesin the 1980s.[17]Design work is by Sandia whileDyneticsconstructs prototypes and test units.

Testing[edit]

The first test of the Intermediate Range Conventional Prompt Strike Flight Experiment-1, was on 30 October 2017. A missile capable of fitting in the launch tube of anOhio-class ballistic missile submarineflew over 2,000 nautical miles from Hawaii to the Marshall Islands at hypersonic speeds.[18]The Common-Hypersonic Glide Body was tested in March 2020.[9][10]

LRHW subsystems were tested at Project Convergence 2022 (PC22).[19][20]

Boosters[edit]

The first stage solid rocket motor was tested 27 May 2020.[21]

Both stages of the missile booster as well as a thrust vector control system were tested in 2021.[22][23]

On 29 October 2021, the booster rocket for the Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon was successfully tested in a static test in Utah; the first stage thrust vector control system was included in the test.[24]

In March 2021, training with inert missile canisters began.[1]On 7 October 2021,17th Field Artillery Brigadeof theI Corpsreceived ground equipment for the first operational LRHW battery.[25]

In June 2022 inHawaii,a launch failure of Conventional Prompt Strike occurred after ignition.[26]The test of a completely assembled CPS weapon, which uses a two-stage booster,[27]failed before ignition of the C-HGB.[28]

Entry into service[edit]

TheUnited States Armyintends to deploy the Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon in an eight missilebatterycontaining fourM983trucks and trailers each holding two missiles in launch canisters alongside a command vehicle.[9][10]The LRHW has been namedDark Eagleby the US Army.[29][30][31]

In February 2023, the 5th Battalion,3rd Field Artillery Regiment(5-3 LRFB) — 1st MDTF's long-range fires battalion— deployed the LRHW fromJoint Base Lewis-McChord,Tacoma, Washington toCape Canaveral,Florida. The first battery of missiles was expected to be deployed by end of September 2023.[32]

On 7 September 2023, a test launch of the LRHW system was canceled due to an unspecified failure of pre-flight checks.[33][34][35]Douglas R. Bushrevealed that the launcher had a "mechanical engineering problem", and that a new plan was in place to correct and test it.[36][37][38]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^abcManuel, Rojoef (3 April 2023)."US Army Deploys First Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon in Florida".The Defense Post.Archivedfrom the original on 3 October 2023.
  2. ^abParlato, Richard (30 March 2023)."1st Multi-Domain Task Force deploys the Army's first Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon system".U.S. Army.Archivedfrom the original on 3 December 2023.
  3. ^CBO Estimates $15-18 Million Cost Per ARRW Hypersonic Missile.Air & Space Forces Magazine.1 February 2023.
  4. ^Tirpak, John A. (1 February 2023)."CBO Estimates $15-18 Million Cost Per ARRW Hypersonic Missile".Air & Space Forces Magazine.Archivedfrom the original on 4 January 2024.
  5. ^Trevithick, Joseph (19 March 2021)."Navy Wants Triple-Packed Hypersonic Missile Modules On Its Stealthy Zumwalt Destroyers".The Drive.Archivedfrom the original on 12 December 2023.
  6. ^https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/2023-01/58255-hypersonic.pdf
  7. ^Trevithick, Joseph (4 August 2020)."Army Shows First-Ever Footage Of New Hypersonic Missile In Flight And Impacting".The Drive.Archivedfrom the original on 12 September 2023.
  8. ^Roblin, Sebastien (30 April 2020)."The Pentagon Plans to Deploy an Arsenal of Hypersonic Weapons in the 2020s".Forbes.Archivedfrom the original on 20 October 2023.Retrieved15 May2021.
  9. ^abcFreedberg Jr, Sydney J. (20 March 2020)."Hypersonics: Army, Navy Test Common Glide Body".Breaking Defense.Archivedfrom the original on 25 March 2023.
  10. ^abc"Department of Defense tests hypersonic glide body".U.S. Army.20 March 2020.Archivedfrom the original on 17 April 2023.
  11. ^abMegan Eckstein(17 Feb 2023) Navy awards Lockheed Martin $1.2B contract for hypersonic missiles
  12. ^LaGrone, Sam (28 April 2021)."CNO: Hypersonic Weapons at Sea to Premiere on Zumwalt Destroyers in 2025".USNI News.Retrieved15 May2021.
  13. ^Hypersonic Weapons on Track to Deploy on Attack Submarines in 2028.USNI News.18 November 2021.
  14. ^Thurgood, Neil (4 September 2019)."Hypersonics by 2023".U.S. Army.Archivedfrom the original on 5 September 2023.Retrieved15 May2021.
  15. ^Sayler, Kelley M. (11 July 2019)."Hypersonic Weapons: Background and Issues for Congress"(PDF).Congressional Research Service.Archived(PDF)from the original on 10 October 2023.
  16. ^Sayler, Kelley M. (13 February 2023)."Hypersonic Weapons: Background and Issues for Congress"(PDF).Congressional Research Service.Archived(PDF)from the original on 6 January 2024.
  17. ^Threvithick, Joseph (3 June 2019)."Here's What The Army's First Ever Operational Hypersonic Missile Unit Will Look Like".The Drive.Archivedfrom the original on 20 October 2023.Retrieved15 May2021.
  18. ^"Conventional Prompt Global Strike and Long-Range Ballistic Missiles: Background and Issues".Congressional Research Service.8 January 2019.Archivedfrom the original on 16 April 2022.Retrieved15 May2021.
  19. ^Tucker, Patrick (21 October 2022)."The Military's Network Warfare Experiment Scaled Up This Year".Defense One.Archivedfrom the original on 9 October 2023.
  20. ^Eckstein, Megan (2 November 2022)."US Navy touts hypersonic missile progress ahead of 2025 fielding".Defense News.Archivedfrom the original on 9 January 2024.
  21. ^Eckstein, Megan (27 May 2021)."US Navy conducts first live-fire test of hypersonic missile motor".Defense News.Archivedfrom the original on 1 June 2021.
  22. ^Katz, Justin (26 August 2021)."Navy Successfully Tests Solid Rocket Motor For Hypersonic Weapon".Breaking Defense.Archivedfrom the original on 6 January 2024.
  23. ^Judson, Jen (26 August 2021)."US Navy tests second-stage rocket motor for hypersonic weapon".Defense News.Archivedfrom the original on 29 August 2021.
  24. ^Stone, Mike (29 October 2021)."U.S. successfully tests hypersonic booster motor in Utah".Reuters.Archivedfrom the original on 29 October 2021.
  25. ^"Army delivers first hypersonics ground equipment".U.S. Army.7 October 2021.Archivedfrom the original on 20 October 2023.Retrieved17 October2021.
  26. ^Herskovitz, Jon; Capaccio, Tony (29 June 2022)."Hypersonic missile test fails off Hawaii in fresh setback for program".Honolulu Star-Advertiser.Bloomberg News.Archivedfrom the original on 20 October 2023.
  27. ^Cole, Brendan (1 July 2022)."Russia Reacts to U.S. Hypersonic Missile Failure".Newsweek.Archivedfrom the original on 20 October 2023.
  28. ^Liebermann, Oren (30 June 2022)."Latest US hypersonic test fails after 'anomaly' during first full flight test".CNN.Archivedfrom the original on 24 October 2023.Retrieved9 January2024.
  29. ^Hitchens, Theresa (11 August 2021)."'Confident' Of 2023 Fielding Goal, Army Dubs Hypersonic Weapon 'Dark Eagle'".Breaking Defense.Archivedfrom the original on 5 October 2023.
  30. ^Rogoway, Tyler (5 March 2023)."Mysterious Launch Out Of Cape Canaveral Appears Imminent (Updated)".The Drive.Archivedfrom the original on 12 September 2023.
  31. ^Kelly, Emre (6 March 2023)."Department of Defense scrubs hypersonic missile test at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station".Florida Today.Archivedfrom the original on 26 March 2023.
  32. ^Parlato, Richard (30 March 2023)."1st Multi-Domain Task Force Deploys the Army's First Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon System".U.S. Army.Archivedfrom the original on 3 December 2023.Retrieved16 September2023.
  33. ^Capaccio, Anthony (7 September 2023)."US Army cancels flight test of Long Range Hypersonic Weapon".Bloomberg.Archivedfrom the original on 7 September 2023.Retrieved8 September2023.
  34. ^Capaccio, Anthony (14 September 2023)."US Army Faces Facts: Its Hypersonic Weapon To Miss a Deadline".Bloomberg.Archivedfrom the original on 14 September 2023.
  35. ^Weinberger, Sharon (18 September 2023)."Hypersonic Missiles Are Game-Changers, and America Doesn't Have Them".The Wall Street Journal.Archived fromthe originalon 27 October 2023.
  36. ^Roque, Ashley (3 December 2023)."Army has a revised hypersonic test plan to address launcher 'problem': Official".Breaking Defense.Archivedfrom the original on 27 December 2023.
  37. ^Harper, Jon (7 November 2023)."Army anticipates another delay in fielding Dark Eagle hypersonic weapon after detecting 'problem'".DefenseScoop.Archivedfrom the original on 16 December 2023.
  38. ^Harper, Jon (3 December 2023)."Army hopes to field Dark Eagle hypersonic missile in summer 2024 after resolving problems with launcher".DefenseScoop.Archivedfrom the original on 16 December 2023.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Long-Range_Hypersonic_Weapon&oldid=1222738572"