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The United States Navy has advanced its hypersonic weapons program with a successful end-to-end flight test of a conventional hypersonic missile, conducted from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
The successful launch marks a significant milestone on the path to fielding the nation’s first sea-based hypersonic strike capability. This test marked the debut of the Navy’s Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) capability using a cold-gas launch method, a technique that ejects the missile from the launch platform before igniting its first stage at a safe distance. This method will be employed in future sea-based deployments.
“The speed, range and survivability of hypersonic weapons are central to America’s integrated deterrence,” US Secretary of the Navy John Phelan said. “Once fielded, the CPS system will offer our warfighters unparalleled capabilities.”
The flight test was a critical step in the Navy’s evaluation of the All Up Round (AUR), a common hypersonic missile being jointly developed with the US Army’s Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office. Two additional end-to-end flight tests of the AUR were completed in 2024, with both services set to field the weapon.
Vice Admiral Johnny R Wolfe Jr, director of the Navy’s Strategic Systems Programs, the lead design office for the missile, said the successful cold-gas launch highlights a major technical achievement.
“This approach allows the Navy to safely eject the missile from a ship before ignition,” VADM Wolfe said. “It brings us one step closer to delivering a safe and reliable hypersonic capability to the fleet.”
The CPS program has spent considerable time preparing for sea-based deployment, particularly aboard the USS Zumwalt. Using a dedicated in-air launch test facility, engineers conducted an extensive campaign to validate the cold-gas launch method ahead of the flight test. Insights from this latest test will shape the ongoing development and future production of the AUR and refine deployment protocols for surface ships.
The rapid pace of development and demonstration of this new class of weaponry is central to the US Department of Defense’s strategy to deter – and if required, counter – peer-level threats.
Hypersonic weapons, which can travel at speeds greater than Mach 5, represent a significant enhancement in range, precision, lethality and survivability over current systems, complementing and extending the reach of existing strike capabilities.
