The United States continues to develop hypersonic weapons and from time to time publishes new information about such projects. On August 7, the Pentagon held a regular Symposium on anti-space and missile defense, during which new information about the LRHW hypersonic complex project was disclosed. Some data about him were known before, and new information can significantly complement the existing picture.
Old and new data
In May this year, at a conference of the US Army Association, the recently created Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO) revealed some information about the promising HWS project. As part of the Hypersonic Weapon Systems program, it is proposed to create a missile system with a hypersonic warhead. Some information about the project was announced and interesting slides were shown.
A few days ago, the RCCTO leadership at a regular event again spoke about the work in the hypersonic sphere. Statements were sounded again and slides were shown. In this case, it was about a complex called LRHW (Long Range Hypersonic Weapon - "Long-range hypersonic weapon").
At two events, images of promising weapons and auxiliary components of the HWS and LRHW complexes were demonstrated. A certain similarity suggests that we are talking about the same program.
Technical features
The LRHW missile system is being developed by several scientific and industrial organizations in the interests of the US Army. At the same time, for some components, the LRHW system should be unified with similar weapons for other branches of the military. Thus, the promising complex is part of a large interdepartmental program.
The LRHW complex is proposed to be made mobile; all of its equipment will be mounted on self-propelled chassis of serial models. It is proposed to include one command post and four self-propelled launchers in the battery of such a complex. The presence of a number of means of support is likely.
The LRHW will be controlled by the standard US Army command post AFATDS version 7.0. The point is made on a vehicle chassis and has a set of communication and missile or artillery fire control devices. Such systems are already in use in the ground forces, which will simplify the operation of hypersonic weapons.
Launchers are being developed on the basis of the corresponding products of the Patriot anti-aircraft complex. The modified M870 semi-trailer will receive attachments for two transport and launch containers with missiles. The trailer is transported by a standard M983A4 tractor. From the point of view of mobility, the LRHW missile system should not differ from similar weapons of other classes.
In the TPK, the launcher must carry missiles with hypersonic combat equipment. The use of a promising solid-propellant medium-range ballistic missile AUR (All-Up-Round) is proposed. In its warhead will be a gliding hypersonic warhead of the Common Hypersonic Glide Body (C-HGB) type.
The missile and warhead are being developed in collaboration with several organizations led by the Department of Energy's Sandia National Laboratories. The AUR product is created in the interests of the ground forces and the naval forces. Combat unit C-HGB will have to go into service with the army, navy and air force. In the latter case, it will need a new carrier instead of the AUR rocket.
Thus, one battery of the LRHW complex will have eight missiles ready to launch. The performance characteristics of the complex and its main components are unknown. According to various estimates, the C-HGB warhead will be able to reach speeds 8-10 times the speed of sound. The flight range should exceed 4-5 thousand km.
Operating schedule
RCCTO reported in May that it will take the next two years to complete the design of all LRHW elements and prepare for further testing. This phase will end at the beginning of fiscal 2021, after which new work will begin.
The first test launch of the AUR with C-HGB is scheduled for the first quarter of FY2021. - the last months of the 2020 calendar year. New shootings will be carried out at intervals of several months. Obviously, it is planned to conduct data analysis and fine-tuning of structures between launches. Trials are due to conclude at the end of the first quarter of FY2023.
By the time testing is completed, the Pentagon intends to deploy the first LRHW battery. She will have to carry an experimental combat duty. Then new similar units will appear. The LRHW batteries will be part of the Strategic Fires Battalion type formations, designed to complement the existing strategic nuclear and non-nuclear forces.
Assumptions and forecasts
The most interesting and important data on the LRHW project are not yet available. In this area, you have to rely on estimates and assumptions, which makes forecasting difficult. Nevertheless, it is necessary to pay attention to the existing versions and try to predict the results of the emergence of a promising missile system.
First of all, the firing range of the C-HGB warhead is unknown. There is a version according to which this product was created on the basis of an experimental aircraft AHW (Advanced Hypersonic Weapon), tested several years ago. This product developed a speed of the order of M = 8 and showed a range of up to 6800 km.
It follows from this that the C-HGB will be able to deliver the warhead at a range of at least 5 thousand km and will fly to the target at high speeds. Even taking into account the loss of energy during flight, the speed in the final segment of the trajectory will remain hypersonic. In addition, the unit will be able to maneuver throughout the flight.
How these estimates correspond to the real plans of the Pentagon and the actual capabilities of the AUR and C-HGB products is a big question. However, even without this, it is obvious that the LRHW project offers a sufficiently advanced and dangerous weapon for striking distant targets.
The LRHW complex can be classified as a medium or intercontinental range. At the same time, he must show a short flight time and hit the target with high accuracy. Mobile chassis provide high flexibility of use.
The fact of unification of the LRHW army complex with systems for other types of troops should be taken into account. This will make it possible to create and adopt new strike weapons on different platforms with similar characteristics in a shorter time and at a lower cost.
Thus, at the level of the general concept, the LRHW missile system is of great interest for any army, and in addition, it is a serious threat to its potential adversary. Weapons with such characteristics can be used to solve a wide range of operational and strategic tasks in the framework of a massive first or retaliatory strike, as well as, within the framework of the new proposed concepts, to defeat single remote targets in a conflict of lower intensity.
Some conclusions
The main takeaway from the latest news is pretty simple. The United States continues to work in the field of hypersonic technology, and now it is about creating real weapons - first for the army, and then for the Navy and Air Force. After 2023, new missile systems can have a significant impact on the military-political situation in the world.
You can see that the development of the LRHW system with a range of about 5 thousand.km started before the US withdrawn from the INF Treaty - albeit during the period of disputes around it. This fact, if properly interpreted, can be the basis for accusations of breach of contract. However, after recent events, the inconsistency of the new weapons to the INF Treaty is not a significant factor.
One of the tasks of the Strategic Fires Battalion units will be to participate in the strategic containment of potential US adversaries, including Russia. As a result, our country needs to take into account the potential threat in the form of LRHW and other similar systems and take the necessary measures of a military-technical nature.
Our country already has hypersonic weapons, which will soon enter service. Accordingly, there should be some groundwork for countering such systems of a potential enemy. With an optimistic turn of events, Russian defenses will be on duty, at least no later than American offensive weapons.
In general, a very interesting situation is observed in the field of the LRHW project and other promising programs of the operational-strategic level. The new weapon with special capabilities has not even reached the testing stage, but it can already be regarded as a threat. Further work requires some time, and third countries should not waste it. The United States intends to adopt new hypersonic missile systems, and other countries need to pay attention to the means of protection against them.
