The AGM-183A is a developmental boost-glide hypersonic missile to provide future, nonnuclear strike against time-sensitive, heavily defended, high-value targets from standoff range. The missile is designed to accelerate to speeds well in excess of Mach 5 before releasing a nonpowered glide vehicle that maneuvers a warhead to the intended target.
USAF conducted seven captive flight tests with an instrumented test article on a B-52H at Edwards, culminating in an aborted boost in December 2020. USAF achieved safe separation and target acquisition on the third attempt on July 28, 2021, but the booster failed to ignite.
ARRW achieved safe separation and booster ignition for the first time on May 14, 2022, attaining Mach 5 after release from a B-52, which was followed by a second successful launch prior to operational testing. An AGM-183 completed the first live-fire test of a full-up weapon on Dec. 9, 2022, successfully flying the planned route and impacting the predetermined target. Two of the three all-up round test flights in 2023 were successful, though a glide vehicle suffered a shroud separation failure which invalidated the terminal performance data.
Assessments indicate ARRW is survivable against advanced defenses. The most recent all-up round test on March 17, 2024, proved the weapon’s land-target engagement capability though early failures limited analysis of its performance against a full array of targets.
USAF planned to shift hypersonic test funding to the Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM). Delays to HACM flight-testing (now planned for this year) prompted USAF to restart ARRW acquisition, including $387.1 million in the FY26 budget. Integration was originally planned for the B-1, B-52, and possibly F-15E/EX pending test results.
AGM-183 Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) Technical Data
Contractor: Lockheed Martin.
First Flight: May 14, 2022
Delivered: TBD.
IOC: N/A (originally planned for 2022).
Production: TBD
Inventory: N/A.
Operator: AFMC, Planned: AFGSC.
Unit Location: Edwards AFB, Calif.
Active Variant: •AGM-183A. Developmental prototype hypersonic boost-glide weapon.
Dimensions: Unknown
Weight: Unknown
Propulsion: Solid fuel rocket.
Performance: Mach 5+, range approx. 1,000 miles.
Guidance: Unknown.
Warhead: Boost-glide vehicle with explosive warhead