OREANDA-NEWS. The Office of Advanced Research Projects and the Air Force of the US Armed Forces have failed the first attempt to launch a prototype of a "real" hypersonic missile, created as part of the Hypersonic Air-Air Weapon Concept (HAWC) program, reports Air Force Magazine, citing sources familiar with the project.

According to them, the launch of the product from the B-52 Stratofortress strategic bomber was supposed to take place last week, but this did not happen not because of a "design issue", but due to "stupid mistakes." The American edition notes that it was planned to test a prototype developed by the American corporation Lockheed Martin.

In September, The Drive reported that the Advanced Research Projects Agency had successfully flight tested (as part of the B-52 Stratofortress) prototypes of two competing hypersonic missiles being developed under the HAWC program by American companies Lockheed Martin and Raytheon.

According to Raytheon, the "new type rocket" being developed as part of the HAWC project will be able to fly from New York to Los Angeles in 39 minutes without interruption. The product will receive a hypersonic ramjet engine (ramjet), and will not turn out to be a warhead gliding at hypersonic speed