the us military will test hypersonic weapons again
2024-09-21
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the u.s. army's long-range hypersonic weapon trailer launcher.
according to the us defense news website, the us army will conduct another major test of hypersonic weapons before the end of the year. if the test is successful, the weapon will be officially equipped starting next year.
the project covers multiple military branches
the report said that the hypersonic weapon to be tested was jointly developed by the u.s. army and the u.s. navy, aiming to conduct a comprehensive full-missile flight test to bring it as close to the true hypersonic weapon standard as possible. in 2018, the u.s. department of defense began implementing a research and development project to provide medium- and long-range hypersonic missiles for the u.s. army and the u.s. navy. among them, the u.s. navy-related project is called "conventional rapid strike" and the u.s. army-related project is called "long-range hypersonic weapons." in addition, the main hypersonic weapon projects currently being carried out by the u.s. military also include the u.s. air force's "hypersonic attack cruise missile" and the u.s. defense advanced research projects agency's "hypersonic air-breathing weapons."
as for the u.s. army, the "long-range hypersonic weapon" development project was officially launched in 2019, with the intention of quickly developing a medium- and long-range hypersonic boost-glide missile with a range of more than 2,775 kilometers. in march 2020, the u.s. army conducted its first flight test of the "long-range hypersonic weapon" and hit the intended target, but in subsequent flight tests, the launch failed due to booster problems. in june 2022, the u.s. army and the u.s. navy jointly tested the project, but the test failed due to problems with the weapon system. three more tests were planned in 2023, all of which were canceled due to system failures. in may of this year, the u.s. army and the u.s. navy successfully completed a full-bomb flight test for the first time. in june, the u.s. army's "long-range hypersonic weapon" debuted in a military exercise for the first time. u.s. army lieutenant general robert lasch said that the army basically has the ability to deploy the weapon, but before that, some more tests are needed.
the u.s. navy selected lockheed martin as the main contractor for the "conventional prompt strike" project after launching it in 2019. it is reported that the "conventional prompt strike" system will be deployed on the zumwalt-class guided missile destroyer and the virginia-class nuclear submarine. in february 2023, lockheed martin said it had received a contract to integrate the "conventional prompt strike" system on the zumwalt-class guided missile destroyer, including the provision of launcher units, weapon control units, platform integration systems, etc. it is expected that the modification will be completed by the end of 2025 to form initial combat capability.
as for the us air force, it initially chose to develop the "air-launched rapid response weapon", which was planned to be launched by b-52 bombers. due to the successive failures of the "air-launched rapid response weapon" test, the us air force decided to cancel the project in 2023. in march of this year, the us air force conducted another "air-launched rapid response weapon" test, but did not disclose the test results. at the same time, the us air force began to develop another "hypersonic attack cruise missile" in 2022. details of the weapon have not yet been announced. industry insiders analyzed that the missile is likely to consist of a rocket booster and a scramjet engine, with a maximum flight speed of mach 9 to 10. the us air force hopes that the missile can be mounted on fighter jets such as the f-35, so its size should be relatively small.
seeking multiple solutions
in recent years, the u.s. military has vigorously promoted the development of several major hypersonic weapons projects, but these projects have progressed relatively slowly. to this end, the u.s. military is actively seeking other solutions.
developing hypersonic aircraft. us media reported in january this year that the sr-72 hypersonic reconnaissance aircraft developed by lockheed martin is scheduled to conduct its first flight test in 2025. it is reported that the reconnaissance aircraft has a maximum flight speed of more than 6,000 kilometers per hour and has features such as unmanned and reusable. the us air force said in march this year that the focus of the us air force research laboratory will shift to reusable hypersonic reconnaissance aircraft.
integrate domestic and foreign resources. on the one hand, conduct joint research and development with domestic industries. for example, spector aerospace of the united states plans to apply plasma ignition and combustion-supporting technology to dual-mode ramjet engines and conduct hypersonic demonstrator flight verification within two years; purdue university applied research institute has opened a hypersonic flight technology facility with a ma8 silent wind tunnel to provide accurate system performance data. on the other hand, cooperate with international allies. in april 2022, the united states, the united kingdom, and australia decided to jointly develop hypersonic missiles under the framework of the "trilateral security partnership". in may 2024, the u.s. missile defense agency and the japanese ministry of defense issued a joint statement to jointly develop hypersonic missile defense weapons.
in addition, the us military is also gradually building a hypersonic interception system. in april 2023, the us military launched 10 new-generation space-based detection and tracking system satellites in succession to detect and track targets in flight, including hypersonic missiles. the us space force space operations department recently stated that the space force expects to deploy satellites designed to track ground and air moving targets by early 2030 to enhance the military's adaptability and responsiveness in complex battlefield environments. other interception systems include raytheon's "low-layer air defense missile defense sensor", the us missile defense agency's "glide segment interceptor" and "glide destroyer".
risks and challenges ahead
analysts say that the united states has introduced a series of measures to reverse the difficulties faced in developing hypersonic weapons, but due to various restrictions, it remains to be seen whether the united states' hypersonic weapons can achieve rapid development in the future.
the overall positioning is unclear. in 2017, the united states adjusted its national security strategy. subsequently, the u.s. army, navy, air force, defense advanced research projects agency, missile defense agency and other units launched at least 17 hypersonic weapons projects in just two years. so far, no project has been fully successful. analysts said that the united states has not yet issued a complete hypersonic weapons strategic plan, the overall positioning is unclear, and it is difficult to form cohesion.
wind tunnel testing is difficult. hypersonic weapons require a lot of wind tunnel testing, but most of the us wind tunnels were built during the cold war and cannot meet the conditions for hypersonic testing. in addition, professionals analyzed that because the us lacks wind tunnels, it often chooses a software from nasa that specifically simulates flow fields from subsonic to hypersonic conditions for testing, but this simulation software cannot predict the chemical composition and temperature changes on the surface of the aircraft, resulting in a lack of basis for the development of missile materials.
the project is risky. in an investigative report this year, the u.s. defense accountability office said that after spending huge amounts of money, the u.s. military has still not been able to deploy the first batch of operational hypersonic weapons. congress is still unclear about the details, and the related projects may be subject to major risks. (tian hongcui)
source: china national defense news
