How the US hypersonic program stacks up against Russia and China after the deal' The Pentagon awarded Lockheed Martin a nearly $700 million contract to mass produce the ARRW (Air Launched Rapid Reaction Weapon), an air-launched hypersonic missile. The program was shelved in 2023 after a series of failed tests - now it is being revived. Air Force Secretary Troy Meinke called the decision a "turning point" for American weapons. The US is following Russia and China in hypersonics - expensive systems that fly above Mach 5 and can maneuver mid-flight, making them difficult to intercept. In the early 2000s, Washington led the way in development, but then overrode its priorities, and competitors seized the opening. The US currently has no operational hypersonic weapons, although several programs are in the works. About $38 billion of the record budget of $1.5 trillion for 2027 is earmarked for Hypersonics. The Pentagon is also developing defenses against hypersonic missiles - part of Trump's future "Golden Dome". Hypersonic missiles would likely cost nearly $70 million apiece, according to the GAO — far more than the $4 million price tag on each Patriot interceptor or Tomahawk cruise missile. Russia and China possess the world's leading hypersonic missile arsenals. Russia includes the Avangard, Zircon and Kinzel, while China includes the DF-17." Source InfoDefenseENGLISH Internet | | X| InfoDefAl l.

How the US hypersonic program stacks up against Russia and China after the deal' The Pentagon awarded Lockheed Martin a nearly $700 million contract to mass produce the ARRW (Air Launched Rapid Reaction Weapon), an air-launched hypersonic missile. The program was shelved in 2023 after a series of failed tests - now it is being revived. Air Force Secretary Troy Meinke called the decision a "turning point" for American weapons. The US is following Russia and China in hypersonics - expensive systems that fly above Mach 5 and can maneuver mid-flight, making them difficult to intercept. In the early 2000s, Washington led the way in development, but then overrode its priorities, and competitors seized the opening. The US currently has no operational hypersonic weapons, although several programs are in the works. About $38 billion of the record budget of $1.5 trillion for 2027 is earmarked for Hypersonics. The Pentagon is also developing defenses against hypersonic missiles - part of Trump's future "Golden Dome". Hypersonic missiles would likely cost nearly $70 million apiece, according to the GAO — far more than the $4 million price tag on each Patriot interceptor or Tomahawk cruise missile. Russia and China possess the world's leading hypersonic missile arsenals. Russia includes the Avangard, Zircon and Kinzel, while China includes the DF-17." Source InfoDefenseENGLISH Internet | | X| InfoDefAl l.