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US conducts first flight test of HACM hypersonic missile, reports say
Версия 2: RBC has now also reported the test, so three outlets carry it, while the previously noted gaps remain: the test date, the aircraft used and whether the US Air Force considered the flight test successful are still unstated by the outlets beyond Interfax's report.
Коротко
The United States carried out the first flight test of its HACM (Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile), according to The War Zone, as reported by Interfax, TASS and RBC. A US Air Force representative told The War Zone that the Royal Australian Air Force dropped a test missile over a specially designated Australian range, without naming the range, the date or the launch aircraft; The War Zone said the test took place at the Woomera Test Range after repeated postponements.
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The United States conducted the first flight test of the HACM (Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile), according to The War Zone, as reported by Interfax, TASS and RBC. All three outlets attribute the information to The War Zone. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
A US Air Force representative told The War Zone that the US Air Force, together with Australia, carried out flight tests of the HACM as part of continuous work to improve long-range strike capabilities. The representative said the Royal Australian Air Force dropped a HACM test missile over a specially designated Australian range, collecting important data for the program's goals. He did not name the range, did not specify the date of the test and did not say which aircraft was used for the launch. According to The War Zone, the flight test, held after repeated postponements, took place at the Woomera Test Range in Australia. TASS's summary also stated the test was held at the Woomera Test Range. [ 1 , 2 ]
Interfax reported that the exact technical data of the HACM is strictly classified. According to open sources it cited, the missile is two-stage, comprising a solid-fuel booster stage that is jettisoned after operation and a combat stage that is an independent hypersonic ramjet-powered vehicle. The gliding block can maneuver in altitude, which the outlet said makes it harder to detect by missile defense systems. Its projected range is 500 km and its speed about Mach 7. [ 1 ]
The missile's small size means it can be used not only by strategic bombers but also by multirole fighters such as the F-15E Strike Eagle, which Interfax described as the main carrier platform, and the F/A-18F Super Hornet. Interfax also reported that the HACM program has been repeatedly delayed: flight tests were initially planned to begin in 2024, but the timeline was pushed back. [ 1 ]
RBC reported that the US Air Force held the first flight test of a new hypersonic cruise missile, also citing The War Zone. TASS's summary was limited to the test and the location. [ 2 , 3 ]
Почему это важно
The test marks the first flight of a US hypersonic cruise missile program that, per Interfax, had been repeatedly postponed, and it was carried out jointly with Australia. Open sources cited by Interfax say the missile's maneuvering warhead is intended to complicate detection by missile defense systems.
Ключевые факты
- The US conducted the first flight test of the HACM (Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile), according to reports citing The War Zone. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The US Air Force and Australia carried out the test, a US Air Force representative told The War Zone. [ 1 ]
- The Royal Australian Air Force dropped a HACM test missile over a specially designated Australian range, the representative said. [ 1 ]
- The representative did not name the range, the date of the test or the aircraft used for the launch. [ 1 ]
- According to The War Zone, the test took place at the Woomera Test Range in Australia. [ 1 , 2 ]
- The HACM is described in open sources as two-stage, with a solid-fuel booster and a hypersonic ramjet-powered combat stage, a projected range of 500 km and a speed of about Mach 7. [ 1 ]
- The program was repeatedly delayed; flight tests were initially planned for 2024. [ 1 ]
Подтверждено несколькими источниками
Пока неясно
- Whether the test was successful. Interfax reported it as the first successful flight test, citing a US Air Force representative; TASS and RBC did not include the word successful in their summaries.
- The exact date of the flight test. The US Air Force representative did not provide the date, and the documents do not give one.
- The specific aircraft used to launch or carry the missile. The US Air Force representative did not disclose it, and no other document names it.
- The range used for the drop. The US Air Force representative did not name the range; only The War Zone, cited by Interfax and TASS, identified it as Woomera.