theoderich hat geschrieben: ↑Sa 24. Jun 2023, 00:47The first flight test of a complete missile in 2022 was partially successful. LRHW has two more missile tests scheduled in 2023 before it plans to field the first system.
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The Army plans to field two additional LRHW batteries no later than fiscal years 2025 and 2027.
Weapon Systems Annual Assessment: DOD Is Not Yet Well-Positioned to Field Systems with Speed [Reissued with revisions on Jul. 18, 2024]
The Army missed its goal of fielding its first LRHW battery — including missiles — by fiscal year 2023 due to integration challenges. Based on current test and missile production plans, the Army will not field its first complete LRHW battery until fiscal year 2025. Before the Army can field an operational system, it must conduct a successful end-to-end missile flight test using the Army’s launch system. The two most recent flight tests in 2023 were not completed due to launcher and launch sequence issues identified at the test range. The Army is conducting an independent technical review of the launcher and plans to test the launch sequence separately from the missile before it resumes flight testing. In that scenario, LRHW officials stated that the next end-to-end flight test with the launcher would not occur until the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2024. The Navy plans to return to flight testing earlier in fiscal year 2024.
The LRHW integration issues discovered during testing also affect missile production. The Army cannot complete the missiles for the first battery until a successful test demonstrates that the current design works. LRHW officials stated that once a successful flight test is achieved, the first production missile will be delivered within approximately 6 weeks and the first battery of eight missiles will be delivered within approximately 11 months. If the Army discovers issues with missile performance in flight testing, missile deliveries and the fielding of the first operational LRHW system could be further delayed. According to Army officials, the schedule for the MTA rapid fielding effort for two more batteries is also contingent on what the Army identifies as the root cause of the integration issues.
Army’s successful hypersonic missile test puts fielding on horizon
The U.S. Army has deemed a first complete, end-to-end flight test of its hypersonic missile a success, which puts the initial fielding to the first unit closer on the horizon, Lt. Gen. Robert Rasch, Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office director, told Defense News at the Space and Missile Defense Symposium.
“We’re really close,” Rasch said. “I’m super proud of the team because this is an important capability.”
But he cautioned that more testing remains before any decision is made on the future of its ground-launched hypersonic missile.
“We’ve got to make sure this capability works. If the decision is made to implement this, it’s for real, serious reasons, strategic-level reasons and we need it to work every time,” Rasch said.
The first flight test of the industry-manufactured missile — which took place at the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Hawaii in May — was highly anticipated as part of a joint development program between the U.S. Navy and Army following a series of failed or aborted tests of the Common Hypersonic Glide Body.
Missile development programs typically take about 10 years, Rasch stressed, and while the plan to field hypersonic missiles to a first unit has been delayed by over a year, the Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon program is only at the five-year mark.
U.S. Navy Proves Sea-Based Hypersonic Launch Approach
The U.S. Navy's Strategic Systems Programs is continuing on the path toward the nation's first sea-based hypersonic fielding with a successful end-to-end flight test of a conventional hypersonic missile from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. This test marked the first launch of the Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) capability utilizing the Navy's cold-gas launch approach that will be used in Navy sea-based platform fielding.
This test was the next step in the Navy's flight-testing program of the common All Up Round (AUR) that is being developed in partnership with the Army's Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office. In 2024, the programs completed two additional end-to-end flight tests of the AUR that will be fielded to both the Navy and Army.
"The cold-gas approach allows the Navy to eject the missile from the platform and achieve a safe distance above the ship prior to first stage ignition. This technical achievement brings SSP one step closer to fulfilling our role of providing a safe and reliable hypersonic capability to our Navy," said Vice Adm. Johnny R. Wolfe Jr, Director, Navy's Strategic Systems Programs, which is the lead designer of the common hypersonic missile.
The CPS Program has been diligently planning and executing engineering and test efforts to prepare for the first Navy fielding aboard the USS ZUMWALT. Utilizing an In-Air Launch test facility, the Program conducted an extensive test campaign to validate the launch approach prior to the completion of this flight test. Information gathered from this test will inform the continued development and production of the AUR and the first use of this cold-gas launch approach on a surface ship platform.
Department of Defense Demonstrates Reusability of Hypersonic Test Vehicle
The U.S. Department of Defense Test Resource Management Center (TRMC), in partnership with Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division (NSWC Crane), conducted a second successful flight of a fully recoverable uncrewed hypersonic test vehicle in March 2025, within three months of the first test in December 2024. This test campaign marks the Nation's first return to reusable hypersonic flight testing since the manned X-15 program ended in 1968.
In both tests, the Stratolaunch Talon-A hypersonic vehicle launched from the Roc carrier aircraft, flew over the Pacific Ocean and achieved speeds greater than Mach 5 before landing at Vandenberg Space Force Base. The landmark tests supported the ongoing TRMC Multi-Service Advanced Capability Hypersonics Test Bed (MACH-TB) project.
NSWC Crane awarded the MACH-TB contract to Leidos through the Strategic and Spectrum Missions Advanced Resilient Trusted Systems (S2MARTS) Other Transaction Authority (OTA) vehicle on behalf of the TRMC. As the prime contractor for MACH-TB, Leidos awarded Stratolaunch, LLC a competitive contract to provide flight test services for the program.
DOD Demonstrates Reusability of Hypersonic Test Vehicle
The Defense Department conducted a second successful flight of a fully recoverable uncrewed hypersonic test vehicle in March 2025, with the first being in December 2024.
This test campaign, led by DOD's Test Resource Management Center, in partnership with Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, marks the nation's first return to reusable hypersonic flight testing since the X-15 hypersonic research program ended in 1968.
In both tests, the Talon-A hypersonic vehicle, powered by a liquid rocket engine and launched from a carrier aircraft, flew over the Pacific Ocean and achieved speeds greater than Mach 5, about 3,836 mph, before landing at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. The landmark tests supported the TRMC's Multi-Service Advanced Capability Hypersonics Test Bed project.
Lockheed Martin Space, Littleton, Colorado, is being awarded a cost-plus-incentive-fee and cost-plus-fixed-fee unpriced letter contract modification (P00070) with a not-to-exceed amount of $1,002,700,000 under an existing contract (N00030-22-C-1025). This effort will support program management, engineering development, systems integration, long lead material, and special tooling and equipment in support of missile and launching platform production for Conventional Prompt Strike. Work will be performed in Denver, Colorado (49%); Huntsville, Alabama (35%); Sunnyvale, California (5%); Titusville, Florida (2%); various other locations (9% total). Work under this undefintized contract is expected to be completed on Aug. 31, 2028. Fiscal 2024 research, development, test and evaluation (Army) funds in the amount of $30,000,000; and fiscal 2025 research, development, test and evaluation (Army) funds in the amount of $110,000,000, will be obligated upon award. The fiscal 2024 research, development, test and evaluation (Army) funds of $30,000,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was awarded as a sole source acquisition pursuant to 10 U.S. Code 3204(a)(1) and was previously synopsized on the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) online portal. Strategic Systems Programs, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
