Problems with the launcher and launch sequence of the new Long Range Hypersonic Weapon System will keep the U.S. Army from fielding its first LRHW battery until fiscal 2025, a government watchdog said Monday.
The service aims to fix the problems and test the missile and launcher together no later than the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2024, according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) report.
Even a successful launch might not be the end of the Army’s worries. Service officials told the GAO that problems with missile performance in flight testing could further delay the program. They expect to have the eight missiles required for a battery ready within 11 months after a fielding decision is made, according to the GAO.
The Army originally said it would field the first battery in fiscal year 2023, but admitted in September 2023 that it would miss that deadline. The LRHW has failed several tests since 2021, some of which were attributed to problems with the missile itself. In 2023, two tests were canceled after problems were found in the launcher and launch sequence, the GAO said.
The LHRW is a ground-launched hypersonic missile, meaning that it can travel at least five times the speed of sound while being maneuverable enough to evade air defenses. The LHRW is designed to travel more than 3,800 miles per hour to strike targets up to 1,725 miles away.
U.S. officials have described an “arms race” against China for hypersonics development, a field that Russia also invests in. In 2023, Ukraine shot down six Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, although experts noted that they were not the maneuverable type of missile typically referred to under the umbrella term of “hypersonics.” In February, Russia attacked Ukraine with the Zircon hypersonic missile for the first time.
Still, the weapons face problems with navigation due to their high speeds, which may also make them easier to target. The weapons are also costly, limiting the number that can be produced even as Pentagon officials emphasize the importance of munitions stockpiles. A Congressional Budget Office calculated that a missile similar to the LRHW would cost as much as $41 million per shot.
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