"The FY24 PB requests $150.3 million of Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation funding to complete the Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) AGM-183A rapid prototyping program. While the Air Force does not currently intend to pursue follow-on procurement of ARRW once the prototyping program concludes, there is inherent benefit to completing the All-Up Round (AUR) Test Flights (ATFs) to garner the learning and test data that will help inform future hypersonic programs and, potential leave behind capability support," Hunter said on Wednesday.
Last Friday, the US Air Force announced that it had conducted a test earlier in the month of a hypersonic AGM-183-A Air launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) built by Lockheed Martin, noting it met several of the objectives, without further elaborating on the issue.
However, earlier this week, US Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall said that the latest hypersonic test "was not a success," although it met some of the objectives.
The US military has recently been developing at least three types of hypersonic weapons - the Navy's Conventional Prompt Strike, the Army’s Long Range Hypersonic Weapon, and ARRW for the Air Force.
Both Russia and China have demonstrated Hypersonic missile capabilities while Iran claimed to have tested one earlier this year. Australia, North and South Korea, Brazil, Germany, ISrael, India and Japan also have hypersonic missile programs.