When Air Force Gen. Anthony J. Cotton assumed command of U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM) in a ceremony this week at Offutt AFB, Neb., he didn’t couch his words..The world has become a rather scary place lately, and the man now in charge of America’s nuclear forces spelled it out loud and clear..“New perils are ahead of us,” Cotton said in a speech at STRATCOM’s gleaming, glass-enclosed headquarters, a respite from the grey, biting Nebraska weather..“While the post-Cold War era is over, the competition is underway among major powers to try shape what comes ahead.”.“To safeguard our status and our capabilities, we can’t settle on the status quo,” Cotton said. “We’re taking actions now. Our mission cannot fail.”.A dour Secretary of Defense Lloyd L. Austin III echoed those sentiments for the change of command..“Today, STRATCOM faces new challenges,” he said, citing concerns over the state of global nuclear competition and Russia’s war in Ukraine, along with Russian President Putin’s threats to use nuclear weapons..“The United States is on the verge of a new phase — one where, for the first time, we face two major nuclear powers as strategic competitors. The People’s Republic of China is expanding, and modernizing, and diversifying its nuclear forces. And Russia is also modernizing and expanding its nuclear arsenal.”. An ARRW mounted on a B-52 Stratofortress.An ARRW mounted on a B-52 Stratofortress. .Make no mistake, the USAF means business, and this week’s successful test flight — on the same day as Cotton’s appointment — of the first operationally-configured AGM-183 Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW), marked the beginning of a new era..The test, conducted from a B-52 off the southern California coast, was “the first launch of a full prototype operational missile,” Air & Space Forces Magazine reported, and represents a massive milestone for the ARRW program..Experts say it could pave the way for ARRW to be put into production by manufacturer Lockheed Martin as early as fiscal 2024..The all-up round was released from the bomber, accelerated to hypersonic speed, separated from its booster, and continued to fly at speeds “greater than five times the speed of sound,” according to a press release..The ARRW then “completed its flight path and detonated in the target area.”.The exact speed of the AGM-183A isn't known, although the weapon is said to be based on previous test vehicles built by DARPA that have an alleged maximum speed of Mach 20, or 15,000 mph (24,000 km/h), Space.com reported..The AGM-183A is what's known as a boost-glide vehicle, which refers to warheads or projectiles that glide toward their targets after being lofted by a rocket booster..“The ARRW team successfully designed and tested an air-launched hypersonic missile in five years,” said Brig. Gen. Jason Bartolomei, Armament Directorate Program executive officer..“I am immensely proud of the tenacity and dedication this team has shown to provide a vital capability to our warfighter.”.The test marked three successful powered flights in a row for the hypersonic air-to-ground missile..The mission was flown by the 412th Test Wing out of Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., Air & Space reported. Hypersonic flights of the ARRW took place in May and July of this year.. Airmen secure an ARRW measurement device as it is loaded under the wing of a B-52 Stratofortress at Edwards Air Force Base.Airmen secure an ARRW measurement device as it is loaded under the wing of a B-52 Stratofortress at Edwards Air Force Base. .Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said hypersonic missiles are not as high a priority for USAF as they are for China, due to “different force employment operational concepts.”.China is considered far ahead of the US in developing and fielding hypersonic weapons, which are considered nearly unstoppable due to their tremendous speeds (beyond Mach 5) and their ability to change course during flight..This capability make this class of weapons highly difficult to detect, track and defeat with current air defense systems..It’s believed one hypersonic missile, such as China’s DF-17, could take out a US aircraft carrier, just by kinetic penetration. The latter would require a complicated kill chain, however. Easier said than done..To that end, the Department of Defense is developing new classes of interceptors to help counter the growing hypersonic threat worldwide..There are two main types of hypersonic missiles — hypersonic cruise missiles and hypersonic glide vehicles..Hypersonic cruise missiles are propelled by a high-speed jet engine, while glide vehicles are launched high and propelled back through Earth’s atmosphere..Earlier this year, Russia claimed to have successfully tested its own hypersonic missile as it ratcheted up its aggression in Ukraine..The Air Force and contractor Lockheed Martin have been developing the AGM-183A air-to-ground missile system since 2018..Last week, Airmen at the 2nd Bomb Wing at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., also ironed out the procedures for loading and unloading the ARRW in an operational setting, the Air Force said..Thus far, the missile had only been loaded onto test aircraft..The service originally intended to buy the first 12 AGM-183As in FY22, but Congress cut funding for the program due to setbacks during early testing, Breaking Defense reported..The Air Force requested $46.6 million for the ARRW program in FY23 to procure the first operational missile, but during the roll out of the budget request, service officials said they would seek to transfer those funds back into R&D..STRATCOM, with its massive nuclear arsenal, embraces the motto “Peace is our profession.”.Cotton, a missileer by training who met his wife while serving at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., spent much of his career around the nuclear enterprise, Air & Space reported..“Everything we do is foundational to national and international security,” Cotton said. “It’s not just our nation that’s counting on us.”. An illustration of the AGM-183A separating from its booster.An illustration of the AGM-183A separating from its booster.
