The US Air Force has awarded Lockheed Martin a $694-million contract to manufacture its Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW), bringing the hypersonic missile programme closer to production. The agreement follows years of development and testing of the air-launched weapon, which is designed to achieve speeds exceeding Mach 5. Lockheed Martin stated that it had already invested in the materials and equipment required for manufacturing before receiving government funding. To increase production capacity, the company has begun expanding its Building P-20 facility in Troy, Alabama, with a 47,000-square-foot (4,366-square-meter) addition. The project is expected to triple the facility’s existing ARRW production space and create jobs over the next four years. Lockheed Martin has invested $67 million in the expansion and associated equipment. The upgraded facility will incorporate advanced manufacturing processes, robotics, and digital technologies. The ARRW is an air-launched boost-glide weapon developed to engage high-value targets at long distances. Carried by a B-52 bomber, the missile uses a rocket booster to accelerate before releasing a glide vehicle that travels at hypersonic speeds and maneuvers toward its target. Its speed and maneuverability are intended to make interception by air defense systems more difficult. Launching from an aircraft also allows the Air Force to deploy the weapon from stand-off distances without positioning ground-based launchers near hostile territory. However, the programme has encountered development and testing setbacks, and the service has previously considered redirecting resources toward other hypersonic weapon initiatives.
