Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW), 2020 captive carry test. (Air Force photo by Kyle Brasier)
WASHINGTON — The Air Force recently conducted a second all-up-round test for its new hypersonic Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW), and though a service press release today said the prototype missile “met several of the objectives” of the test flight, it is unclear whether the test was fully successful. 
“A B‑52H Stratofortress released the second All-Up-Round AGM-183A Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon off the southern California coast on March 13, 2023. This test was the second launch of a full prototype operational hypersonic missile and focused on the ARRW’s end-to-end performance,” the release said.
“The test met several of the objectives and the ARRW team engineers and testers are collecting data for further analysis,” the release added.

The missile’s first all-up round — or fully assembled — test was conducted in December, an event where the Air Force said “all objectives were met” and said the missile release was “successfully” done. The service’s statement today did not say whether the most recent trial achieved all its stated objectives, raising questions about how ARRW performed in its second evaluation for the program’s capstone testing phase. An Air Force spokesperson declined to provide further details about the test’s results when asked by Breaking Defense.
RELATED: On heels of successful hypersonic test, Air Force acquisition exec still skeptical 

Built by Lockheed Martin, the hypersonic air-to-ground weapon is planned to be launched by bombers to race toward targets at speeds greater than Mach 5. …