The Department of the Air Force awarded Lockheed Martin a $694 million contract for the production and fielding of the AGM-183A Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon, Sept. 29, 2026. The contract was executed under the Department of War's Enterprise-Wide Agile Acquisition Contract to modernize America's Arsenal of Freedom.
This milestone marks the formal transition of the boost-glide hypersonic missile program from prototyping and flight testing into production, solidifying the Air Force's commitment to fielding standoff, high-speed strike options.
"This is a turning point in our advanced weapons roadmap," said Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink. "By moving ARRW from test to production, we're providing our combatant commanders with a credible, high-speed strike weapon capable of penetrating the most advanced anti-access and area-denial systems."
Designed to accelerate to speeds exceeding Mach 5 using a solid-fuel rocket booster before releasing a hypersonic glide vehicle, ARRW will enable Air Force assets to strike time-sensitive, heavily defended and high-value targets from standoff ranges.
"Fielding ARRW enhances our ability to hold targets at risk anywhere around the world," said Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Ken Wilsbach
