The U.S. Army’s missiles and space program manager told Defense News that the Army plans to conduct a test of its Long Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) in December, a key step in developing a hypersonic glide body capability.
Testing and Developments
After a long wait due to several testing delays, the jointly developed hypersonic glide body capability of the Army and Navy is set to be delivered to the first operational unit by the end of fiscal year 2025. The first unit of the LRHW will begin receiving ammunition in May at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state, Maj. Gen. Frank Lozano said.
The unit was due to receive all LRHW equipment in 2021. However, due to the postponement of the tests, the unit was expected to receive the missiles in the fall of 2023, but this date has been postponed several times. The cancellations in the tests made it difficult to meet the expected schedule of the program.
Program Status and Testing Stages
Lozano noted that the Army is seeking to transfer the LRHW program from the Army’s Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO) to the Missiles and Space Program Executive Office, but said the program will not formally join the portfolio until the first delivery is completed.
Lockheed Martin is working on a truck-launched capability for the LRHW, which is in the final stages of development at its Courtland, Alabama, facility, while Leidos’ Dynetics is building a common hypersonic glide body for the Army and Navy versions of the weapon.
In December, as part of the weapon’s test firings and operational training, it was emphasized that the rounds were “very expensive” and therefore efficiency was targeted.
The Importance of Hypersonic Weapons
Hypersonic weapons are capable of reaching speeds of Mach 5 (3.836 miles per hour), and their maneuverability makes them extremely difficult to detect and hit. The US is trying to increase its defense capabilities against hypersonic missiles, in parallel with the developments in this field of rivals such as China and Russia.
The Army successfully conducted a fly-by-wire flight test of its hypersonic missile at the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Hawaii in May 2024 and is expected to field the technology in 2025. The Army and Navy also conducted another successful test at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida in December.
Future Plans
Although the weapon’s delivery took about two years longer than planned, the LRHW program is said to have been delayed by five years, given that the Army’s missile development programs typically last about 10 years. Hypersonic weapons are expected to play a strategic role in future wars, and these developments are likely to significantly strengthen U.S. defense capabilities.
