by Kris Osborn, President, Center for Military Modernization
After being fast-tracked for many years by weapons developers, the Army’s breakthrough Long Range Hypersonic weapon is here, deployed and built for speed.
Could not happen a moment too soon for the Army, as service leaders just several years ago were clear that the US was “number 3” in the realms of hypersonic weapons, therefore accelerating efforts to close the gap. That gap is now closing, or possibly even closed, now that LRHW is deployed and ready for operational service. Several years ago, former lead LRHW developer, Army Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office Lt. Gen. Neil Thurgood said several years ago that the LRHW weapon would remain “on track” for 2023 delivery. He appears to have been correct as that has now been accomplished, generating a situation where the Army is fast-tracking full-rate, large-scale production of the weapon.
A service write up on its Army of 2030 force says “the LRHW 1st Multi-Domain Task Force long-range fires battalion, 5th Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment.”
Hypersonic Attack on “Moving Targets”
Throughout its development, Army weapons developers have been clear to sustain a focus on yet another generation of hypersonic weapons able to expand beyond the attack capabilities of the initial LRHW missiles. Service weapons developers have been working on a “tech insertion” upgrade for the LRHW to enable it to maneuver in flight, change course in response to changing target specifics and succeed in destroying “moving” targets.
Hitting massive, hypersonic speeds of 3,800 miles per hour and reaching impactful, breakthrough ranges of 1,725 miles, the now deployed LRHW could prove decisive in the Pacific. An analysis of sa map showing distances from Japan and Guam to Tawian, it appears the LRHW’s reach would enable it to defend Taiwan and certainly hold mainland China at risk of hypersonic attack. Central Japan is listed at 2,163km from the island of Taiwan, a distance just over 1,000 miles and Guam is slated to be a 1,709 miles from Taiwan, just at the boundary of LRHW’s range. The LRHW is mobile and deployable as well, given that it can travel on a C-17 to quickly get to forward defensive locations.
Given this, the deployment and operational readiness of the Pentagon’is extremely significant as it would enable the US to hold Chinese forces on or near Taiwan at risk of hypersonic attack or retaliation. Should the “tech insertion” come to fruition in the near future, then the LRHW could hold a moving Chinese amphibious assault at risk from Guam or Japan. Such a possiblity would present a serious deterrent, should China be contemplating a surprise or unexpected amphibious attack.
Some Pentagon reports and expert observers have speculated that perhaps China might make a move on Taiwan earlier than expected to exploit what the PLA sees as a hypersonic weapons advantage. The intent would be to create a protective, hypersonic weapon -enabled bubble around the Island of Taiwan to enable an annexation by preventing “access” to Western and allied forces hoping to defend the island. With LRHW, however, US force could potentially counter this anti-access/area-denial strategy and mitigate or remove any Chinese advantage in the realm of hypersonic weapons.
This ability, coupled with the weapon’s range and speed, could potentially remove what many saw as a US hypersonic weapons “deficit” compared with the People’s Liberation Army.
The LRHW is engineered with a Common Glide Body used for both Army and Navy hypersonic weapons, a warhead referred to as an “all-up-round” 34-inch booster common between the Army and Navy. The all-up-round is also arming the Conventional Prompt Strike weapon, a hypersonic projectile now being integrated onto the USS Zumwalt
It is not known if, or how soon, the LRHW could deploy to Guam or Japan, yet the possibility does seem quite sensible and intelligent given the severity of the Chinese threat.
Kris Osborn is the President of Warrior Maven – Center for Military Modernization. Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a Highly Qualified Expert with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army—Acquisition, Logistics & Technology. Osborn has also worked as an anchor and on-air military specialist at national TV networks. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The History Channel. He also has a Masters Degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University
