The U.S. Department of the Air Force has awarded Lockheed Martin a $694 million contract to produce and field the AGM-183A Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW), advancing the boost-glide hypersonic missile from prototyping and flight testing into production. Intended for carriage by B-52H and B-1B bombers, ARRW will provide a long-range, standoff strike option against time-sensitive, heavily defended and high-value targets.
The contract was awarded on 29 September through the Department of War’s Enterprise-Wide Agile Acquisition Contract framework. It reverses the Air Force’s 2023 plan to terminate the programme following unsuccessful flight tests and establishes the service’s first confirmed production path for an air-launched hypersonic strike weapon.
ARRW uses a solid-fuel rocket booster to accelerate beyond Mach 5 before releasing a hypersonic glide vehicle. The system is intended to help aircraft engage advanced anti-access and area-denial systems from standoff range. Air Force Secretary Troy Meink described the move from testing to production as a turning point in the service’s advanced-weapons roadmap.
The Air Force has not disclosed the number of missiles covered by the contract or expected delivery dates, citing operational security. The announcement also provided no initial operating capability, basing locations, unit cost or detailed production schedule.