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Air Force Revives ARRW Hypersonic Missile With $346 Million FY2027 Request

The move signals a pivot to rapid prototyping linked to B‑1B integration with seed money for an air‑launched ballistic design.

A B-52H Stratofortress assigned to the 419th Flight Test Squadron undergoes pre-flight procedures at Edwards AFB, California on Aug. 8, 2020 for a a captive-carry flight test of the AGM-183A Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon Instrumented Measurement Vehicle 2 at the Point Mugu Sea Range off Southern California. (Image credit: U.S. Air Force photo by Giancarlo Casem)
B-1B Lancer bomber with AGM-183 ARRW hypersonic weapon.
A B-1B Lancer bomber carrying an AGM-183 ARRW hypersonic weapon. (Image credit: Screengrab from U.S. Air Force video by Ariana Ortega)

Overview

  • The Air Force requested $345.7 million in FY2027 to continue ARRW as an Increment 2 prototype focused on maturing the weapon.
  • A short Air Force video showed a B‑1B carrying an ARRW externally, confirming active work to certify carriage under the bomber’s Expanded Weapons Integration program.
  • Budget documents outline about $1.7 billion for ARRW through FY2030, with larger tranches planned in FY2028 and FY2029 to fund engineering and testing.
  • The request also sets aside about $49 million to start an air‑launched ballistic missile effort that draws on ARRW design and test data.
  • ARRW uses a rocket booster to launch a glide vehicle that then flies at hypersonic speed toward a target, a concept the Air Force is revisiting after failed test flights and a 2023 plan to halt the program.