Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon

In 2018, the Navy was designated to lead the design of the Common-Hypersonic Glide Body with input from the Army's Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office.[11]

A 2020 test launch of a prototype of the Common-Hypersonic Glide Body

The design of the Common-Hypersonic Glide Body is based on the previously developed Alternate Re-Entry System, which was tested in the early 2010s as part of the Army's Advanced Hypersonic Weapon program.[12] The Alternate Re-Entry System was itself based on the Sandia Winged Energetic Reentry Vehicle Experiment (SWERVE) prototype developed by Sandia National Laboratories in the 1980s.[13] Design work is by Sandia while Dynetics constructs prototypes and test units.

The first test of the Intermediate Range Conventional Prompt Strike Flight Experiment-1, was on 30 October 2017. A missile capable of fitting in the launch tube of an Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine flew over 2,000 nautical miles from Hawaii to the Marshall Islands at hypersonic speeds.[14] The Common-Hypersonic Glide Body was tested in March 2020.[7]

LRHW subsystems were tested at Project Convergence 2022 (PC22).[15][16]

The first stage solid rocket motor was tested 27 May 2020.[17]

Both stages of the missile booster as well as a thrust vector control system were tested in 2021.[18]

On 29 October 2021, the booster rocket for the Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon was successfully tested in a static test in Utah; the first stage thrust vector control system was included in the test.[19]

In March 2021, training with inert missile canisters began.[1] On 7 October 2021, 17th Field Artillery Brigade of the I Corps received ground equipment for the first operational LRHW battery.[20]

In June 2022 in Hawaii, a launch failure of Conventional Prompt Strike occurred after ignition.[21] The test of an All-Up-Round for CPS, which uses a two-stage booster,[22] failed before ignition of the C-HGB.[23]