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Updated September 15, 2023
The U.S. Army’s Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW)
What Is the Army’s Long-Range
intended to be fired from both surface vessels and
Hypersonic Weapon?
submarines.
The Army’s Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW)
(Figure 1), with a reported range of 1,725 miles, consists of
Common Hypersonic Glide Body (C-HGB)
a ground-launched missile equipped with a hypersonic glide
The C-HGB is reportedly based on the Alternate Re-Entry
body and associated transport, support, and fire control
System developed by the Army and Sandia National
equipment. According to the Army
Laboratories. Dynetics, a subsidiary of Leidos, is currently
under contract to produce C-HGB prototypes for the Army
This land-based, truck-launched system is armed
and Navy. The C-HGB “uses a booster rocket motor to
with hypersonic missiles that can travel well over
accelerate to well-above hypersonic speeds, and then
3,800 miles per hour. They can reach the top of the
jettisons the expended rocket booster.” The C-HGB is
Earth’s atmosphere and remain just beyond the
planned to be maneuverable, making it more difficult to
range of air and missile defense systems until they
detect and intercept and “can travel at Mach 5 or higher ...
are ready to strike, and by then it’s too late to react.
at least five times faster than the speed of sound or up to
13,000 miles per hour.”
Figure 1. Artist Rendition of a Notional LRHW Unit
LRHW Organization and Units
The LRHW is organized into batteries. According to the
Army “a LRHW battery consists of four Transporter
Erector Launchers on modified M870A4 trailers, each
equipped with two AUR+C (eight in total), one Battery
Operations Center (BOC) for command and control and a
BOC support vehicle.”
Reportedly, the 5th Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment at
Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, is to operate the
first battery of eight LRHW missiles. The battalion, also
referred to as a Strategic Long-Range Fires battalion, is part
of the Army’s 1st Multi Domain Task Force (MDTF), a unit
Source: https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/
in the Indo Pacific-oriented I Corps also stationed at Joint
a36421213/army-hypersonic-weapon-1700-mile-range/, accessed
Base Lewis-McChord. Other LRHW batteries are planned
November 18, 2021.
for Strategic Long-Range Fires battalions in the remaining
MDTFs scheduled for activation.
The Army further notes
The LRHW system provides the Army a strategic
LRHW Testing and Program Activities
attack weapon system to defeat Anti-Access/Area
According to a 2023 Congressional Budget Office (CBO)
Denial (A2/AD) capabilities, suppress adversary
Study, “U.S. Hypersonic Weapons and Alternatives,”
long-range fires, and engage other high payoff/time
“Extensive flight testing is necessary to shield hypersonic
missiles’ sensitive electronics, understand how various
critical targets. The Army is working closely with
the Navy in the development of the LRHW. LRHW
materials perform, and predict aerodynamics at sustained
temperatures as high as 3,000° Fahrenheit.” The Army had
is comprised of the Common Hypersonic Glide
planned for three flight tests of the LRHW before the first
Body (C-HGB), and the Navy 34.5 inch booster.
battery fielding in FY2023. On October 21, 2021, the
LRHW Components
booster rocket carrying the C-HGB vehicle reportedly
failed a test flight resulting in what defense officials
Missile
characterized as a “no test” because the C-HGB had no
chance to deploy. Reportedly, a June 2022 test of the entire
The missile component of the LRHW is reportedly being
LRHW missile also resulted in failure.
developed by Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman.
When the hypersonic glide body is attached, it is referred to
Flight Test Delays
as the Navy-Army All Up Round plus Canister (AUR+C).
In October 2022, it was reported the Department of Defense
The missile component serves as the common two-stage
booster for the Army’s LRHW and the Navy’s
(DOD) delayed a scheduled LRHW test in order to “assess
the root cause of the June [2022] failure.” Reportedly, the
Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) system, which is
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The U.S. Army’s Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW)
delayed test would be rescheduled to the first quarter of
FY2024 LRHW Budgetary Information
FY2023.
Table 1. FY2024 LRHW Budget Request
March 2023 LRHW Test Scrubbed and
Possible Delay in FY2023 Fielding
Total Request
Funding Category
($M)
According to a March 10, 2023, Inside Defense article,
“DOD Scrubs Key Hypersonic Weapons Test, Adding Risk
RDT&E
$944.355
to Army FY-23 Fielding Plans”
Procurement
$156.821
On March 5, the Defense Department was preparing
Sources:
to execute Joint Flight Campaign-2 featuring the
Army version of the prototype weapon launched at
RDT&E—Department of Defense Fiscal Year 2024 Budget
Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, FL, when the
Estimates, Army Justification Book 2b of 2, RDT&E, Volume II, Budget
countdown was halted ... As a result of pre-flight
Activity 4B, March 2023, p. 257 and Department of Defense Fiscal
checks during that event, the test did not occur.
Year 2024 Budget Estimates, Army Justification Book 3d of 3,
RDT&E, Volume II, Budget Activity 5D, March 2023, p. 179.
The article further suggests “The test is at least six months
behind schedule, consuming precious little margin in an
Procurement—Department of Defense Fiscal Year 2024 Budget
effort to field a first prototype Army unit by the end of this
Estimates, Army Justification Book of Missile Procurement, March
year.”
2023, p. 80.
Cancelled September 2023 LRHW Test
Notes: RDT&E = Research, Development, Test & Evaluation; $M =
and Program Delay
U.S. dollars in mil ions.
On September 6, 2023, it was reported
Considerations for Congress
The Department of Defense planned to conduct a
Oversight questions Congress could consider include
flight test at the Cape Canaveral Space Force
Station, Florida, to inform hypersonic technology
LRHW Testing and Fielding Plans
development. As a result of pre-flight checks, the
The Army has experienced a number of test delays and “no-
test did not occur. The Department was able to
tests” since 2021. Despite this, the Army remained publicly
successfully collect data on the performance of the
committed to fielding its first LRHW battery by the end of
ground hardware and software that will inform the
FY2023. The cancellation of the September 6, 2023, test
continued progress toward fielding offensive
flight, the admission that the Army would not meet its end
of FY2023 deployment goal, and the apparent plan to field
hypersonic weapons.
the LRHW upon the successful completion of a single test
On September 14, 2023, in an Army statement to
flight arguably raise possible questions for policymakers on
Bloomberg News, the Army reportedly acknowledged that
the Army’s current testing and fielding plans for the
it would not be able to meet its goal of deploying the
LRHW.
LRHW by the end of FY2023. The Army further noted to
Bloomberg News
LRHW Missile Costs
According to a January 2023 Congressional Budget Office
It is not uncommon for fielding dates to adjust based
Study (CBO) study, “U.S. Hypersonic Weapons and
on real-time developments. We continue to
Alternatives,” purchasing 300 Intermediate-Range
aggressively pursue the testing and fielding of long-
Hypersonic Boost-Glide Missiles (Similar to LRHW/IR-
range hypersonic weapons. Our goal is to field the
CPS) was estimated to cost $41 million per missile (in 2023
system as soon as possible following a successful
dollars). A January 2023 Center for Strategic and
test. It is a top modernization priority for the Army
International Studies (CSIS) report, “The First Battle of the
and for the Department of Defense.
Next War: Wargaming a Chinese Invasion of Taiwan,”
If this statement is taken literally, the Army intends to field
when discussing hypersonic weapons, suggests
the LRHW after a single successful flight test. No further
Their high costs limits inventories, so they lack the
information was provided on future LRHW testing,
volume needed to counter the immense numbers of
including possible dates and a test plan.
Chinese air and naval platforms (p. 5).
Given concerns about LRHW costs and how costs could
influence LRHW inventories, policymakers might decide to
further examine LRHW missile costs as well as quantities
of LRHW missiles needed to support potential combat
operations in various theaters where LRHW units could be
employed.
Andrew Feickert, Specialist in Military Ground Forces
IF11991
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The U.S. Army’s Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW)
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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF11991 · VERSION 10 · UPDATED