The U.S. Air Force has awarded Lockheed Martin a $694 million contract to produce the AGM-183A Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW), reversing a procurement decision that had placed the hypersonic missile's future in serious doubt.
The contract marks a major transition from rapid prototyping and flight testing to production, following years of technical setbacks, disappointing test results and shifting priorities within the Air Force's hypersonic weapons program.
The contract was awarded on September 29, and publicly announced on October 26. Neither the number of missiles to be produced nor their delivery schedule has been disclosed, citing operational security. Nevertheless, the decision establishes ARRW as a production program after the Air Force had previously indicated that it did not intend to purchase the weapon following the completion of its prototype phase.
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Source: Defense Updates
