US Army targets December for next hypersonic missile test

The US Army has scheduled a test of its Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) for December, according to Maj. Gen. Frank Lozano, the service’s program executive officer for missiles and space. This follows a prolonged delay as both the Army and Navy faced challenges in testing a jointly developed hypersonic glide body capability.

Earlier this year, the Army confirmed its plan to field the ground-launched hypersonic missiles to the first unit by the end of fiscal 2025. According to Lozano, cited by American media, the first unit will begin receiving the rounds at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) in Washington state around May, Caliber.Az reports.

The 1st Multidomain Task Force, 5th Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, 17th Field Artillery Brigade at JBLM had already received all necessary LRHW equipment, except for the live rounds, in 2021. Originally, the unit was scheduled to receive the missiles in fall 2023, but multiple aborted test events forced the Army to push back the timeline.

Currently, the Army is transitioning the LRHW program from the Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO) to the Program Executive Office Missiles & Space. However, this transition will not be formally completed until the first round is delivered.

Lockheed Martin, the lead weapon integrator for the truck-launched LRHW, is finalizing the first round at its facility in Courtland, Alabama. Meanwhile, Leidos’ Dynetics is responsible for manufacturing the Common Hypersonic Glide Body (C-HGB), which will be used in both the Army and Navy versions of the weapon.

As production continues, the JBLM unit will receive additional rounds throughout the year. To maximize efficiency, the Army is integrating a test firing into the unit’s operational training in December. “These rounds are very expensive,” Lozano explained, emphasizing the need for efficiency in testing.

The US is racing to deploy hypersonic capabilities while also developing systems to defend against such weapons. Both China and Russia are actively testing and advancing their own hypersonic missile technologies.

Hypersonic weapons travel at speeds exceeding Mach 5 — more than 3,836 miles per hour — but what sets them apart is their maneuverability at varying altitudes, making them significantly harder to detect and intercept.

In May 2024, the Army successfully conducted an end-to-end flight test of its hypersonic missile at the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Hawaii, bringing the system closer to operational deployment. Another test of the Common Hypersonic Glide Body took place in December at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, further solidifying confidence in the weapon’s development.

While the Navy's version of the system, known as Conventional Prompt Strike, will be launched from ships, the Army’s LRHW program is progressing despite delays. Although the Army’s initial deployment timeline has been extended by nearly two years, officials emphasize that most missile development programs take around a decade. The LRHW program, by contrast, has only been in development for just over five years.

By Tamilla Hasanova