The US has tested hypersonic missiles in the Pacific to keep up with China and Russia

(CNN) — The US Air Force tested a hypersonic cruise missile in the Pacific for the first time, in what analysts say is a sign to China that Washington continues to compete in a weapons arena where many believe Beijing has a clear advantage.

On March 17, a B-52 bomber flying from Anderson Air Force Base on the island of Guam launched a “fully operational hypersonic missile prototype,” an Air Force spokesman confirmed in a statement to CNN.

Testing of the hypersonic weapon, officially called the All-Up-Round AGM-183A Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW), was conducted at the Reagan Test Site on Kwajalein Atoll, in the Marshall Islands, about 2,600 kilometers away. Guam, according to the statement.

Previous tests of the ARRW were conducted outside the continental United States.

The ARRW consists of a booster rocket motor and a hypersonic glide vehicle, which carries a conventional warhead.

According to a 2021 Department of Defense document it is “intended to attack high-value, time-sensitive land targets.”

Hypersonic glide vehicles travel at speeds in excess of Mach 5, or approximately 6,437 kilometers per hour, making them difficult to detect and intercept in time. They can also maneuver and change altitude, allowing them to evade current missile defense systems.

US officials have previously acknowledged that China and Russia have taken the lead in developing hypersonics.

China has been testing hypersonic vehicles capable of carrying nuclear and conventional weapons since 2014, according to the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance, a nonpartisan lobby group.

A US Air Force general claimed in 2021 that China had tested a hypersonic glide weapon “circling the globe”, while Russia fired a Zircon hypersonic cruise missile over Ukraine earlier this year, according to a government agency. Ukrainian.

North Korea also claims to be developing hypersonic weapons. The state-run Korean Central News Agency said on Wednesday that leader Kim Jong Un witnessed the test of a new engine for an intermediate-range hypersonic weapon on Tuesday.

The US Speculation that it would test a hypersonic missile in the Pacific arose in late February, when a B-52 carrying the weapon arrived in Guam in what a press release called “hypersonic weapon familiarization training.”

Analysts said before the test that Beijing intended to watch it.

“The test is intended to send a clear message to Beijing that Washington remains steadfast in strengthening its strategic posture in the Pacific, even amid competing global challenges,” said Craig Singleton, senior China researcher at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies. , a non-partisan organization.

“Of course, the US test will not change China’s hypersonic trajectory, and will not address serious concerns about China’s perceived hypersonic advantage,” Singleton said.

“But it confirms that the United States is not just an observer in the hypersonic space, but a formidable player, committed to keeping pace with China and Russia,” he added.

The Air Force did not provide details about the test, such as how fast the ARRW flew or whether it hit a target.

He simply said that lessons had been learned.

“The Air Force gained valuable information about the capabilities of this new advanced technology,” the statement said.

He added that the test “enhanced our test and evaluation capabilities for the continued development of advanced hypersonic systems.” But the fate of the ARRW model is uncertain, and this Sunday’s test is expected to be the last.

Last March, Air Force leaders told a congressional hearing that there were no plans to acquire the ARRW for combat use.

The Air Force requested $150 million for ARRWs in fiscal year 2024, although the National Defense Authorization Act did not set aside any funds for the program, according to a February report by the Congressional Research Service.

But Singleton said it may be too early to write off ARRW.

“There are indications that the Department of Defense may be reconsidering its stance on the ARRW program, signaling a possible revival in light of Chinese and Russian hypersonic advances,” he said.

Air Force Lt. Gen. Dale White told the House Armed Services Committee last week that future decisions on ARRW production ‘pending final analysis of all flight test data.’ “”, as reported by Air and Space Forces magazine

The latest tests of the ARRW took place in August and October 2023, but the Air Force provided few details of what was achieved. The first successful test of the system took place in December 2022.