The US Air Force announced this week that it had test-fired a hypersonic missile over the Pacific Ocean.
The military reportedly conducted a weapons test via a B-52H Stratofortress that took off from a base in Guam on Sunday.
“This test fired a complete prototype of an operational hypersonic missile and focused on the end-to-end performance of the ARRW,” an Air Force spokesperson said in a statement, according to Axios. “The Air Force gained valuable insight into the capabilities of this new, cutting-edge technology.”
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The figure shows a rendering of a missile launched from a B-52H Stratofortress off the coast of Southern California. (Lockheed Martin)
Information about the purpose of the weapons test remains somewhat vague, saying the test provided “valuable and unique data” to support “a range of hypersonic programs.”
“While we do not discuss specific test objectives, this test was intended to obtain valuable and unique data to advance a range of hypersonic programs,” the Air Force spokesperson’s statement continued. . “We also validated and improved our test and evaluation capabilities to continue developing advanced hypersonic systems.”
An Air Force spokesperson told outlet The War Zone that the test was conducted at Andersen Air Force Base, one of three military bases on Guam.
“A B-52H Stratofortress conducted a test of the all-up round AGM-183A air-launched quick response weapon,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “The test fired a complete prototype of an operational hypersonic missile and focused on the end-to-end performance of the ARRW. The test took off from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam on March 17, 2024. local time at the Reagan Proving Ground with the B-52. “
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A car drives through Andersen Air Force Base in Yigo, Guam. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
The announcement comes amid an international scramble for hypersonic weapons. China, Russia, and North Korea all claim to have advanced development of hypersonic weapons.
On Tuesday, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reportedly led a ground-based jet test of a multi-stage solid-fuel engine for a new intermediate-range hypersonic missile at Seohae Satellite Launching Site, North Korea’s rocket launch facility. . This was reported by the state-run Korean Central News Agency.
The more powerful and agile missiles are designed to hit far-flung US targets in the region, particularly Guam, a US Pacific territory that is home to US military bases.
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In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un looks on at a test of a solid-fuel engine for a new intermediate-range hypersonic missile at North Korea’s Seohae satellite launch site. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Agency, Associated Press)
“The enemy knows a lot about it,” Kim said, citing the strategic value of the new missile, which he claimed could target the U.S. mainland. He also praised the “huge success in important tests”.
Fox News Digital’s Lawrence Richard contributed to this report.
