The US Army and Navy have successfully flown its Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon system in an end-to-end test at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida with the Battery Operations Center and a Transporter Erector Launcher that it will use in the field.
The latest test was conducted by the US Army's Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office and the US Navy Strategic Systems Programs and is the second end-to-end flight of the missile that travels in excess of Mach 5, allowing it to outrun conventional air defense systems.
Based on the Common Hypersonic Glide Body, which is the basis for both the Army and the Navy's hypersonic weapon projects, the new missile is intended to be not only extremely fast, but also responsive, maneuverable, and able to survive under battlefield conditions. Information gleaned from the latest flight will be used to aid US forces as they approach the day when they will deploy fully operational hypersonic systems on both land and sea.
Given the present political situation and the fact that other countries are not only working on their own hypersonic weapons but are fielding them, the US government has placed a high priority on America developing a more advanced and practical version of the technology.
In fact, they're dead keen on it.
"This test marks an important milestone in the development of one of our most advanced weapons systems," said Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro. "As we approach the first delivery of this capability to our Army partners, we will continue to press forward to integrate Conventional Prompt Strike into our Navy surface and subsurface ships to help ensure we remain the world's preeminent fighting force."
Source: US Department of Defense
