DARPA Operational Fires (OpFires) Successful First Flight Test

DARPA’s Operational Fires (OpFires) program has successfully executed its first flight test at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. The OpFires system achieved all test objectives, including first ever use of a U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) logistics truck as a medium-range missile launcher, missile canister egress, stable flight capture, and use of U.S. Army inventory artillery fire control systems to initiate the test mission. Lockheed Martin built the system, which includes a Northrop Grumman rocket motor, and conducted the test.

The test demonstrated integrated technology maturation of key enabling components including the first stage rocket motor, missile canister, and missile round pallet (MRP). The MRP is designed for use with the load handling system available on USMC and Army logistics vehicles, eliminating the need for a bespoke OpFires transporter erector launcher (TEL).

[thebudman]

They also tested one other hypersonic missile successfully. Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) booster.

[madmanatsea]

That's a HUGE amount of Thrust coming out that thought it would Turn the Truck over on its side! I'm impressed.

[scottsauritch]

Okay, so OpFires is using the same or similar "Glide-Vehicle" as the former and now cancelled AGM-183? Or is it just the same C-HGB but with smaller boosters hence the lower(~1000mi) range???

[ImperatorSomnium]

Perfect! Now place a bunch of those in Bulgaria, please....we need protection...

[angeloicaro]

American strategy in a nutshell:
Late to join both World Wars. Wins both World Wars
Late in a Space Race. Wins the Space Race.

[AtomBowman]

Gonna set this to music don’t even matter what could be Barney and friends 😂 and watch it get banned in Russia faster than I can post it 😅

[Claudia_Ackermann]

I know I said this but regardless, I will say it again

*I will not believe everything whatever the US says*

So if they said they *"Fail"* those weapon tests, it means it's a success behind the scenes

[namelesswalaby]

I'm a disabled veteran that's gonna be homeless in like two weeks and the VA won't call me back about assistance after taking back $12k from me this year, but I'm glad we can launch a missile from a 1088

[ns]

Wow They just strapped it to the back of a Logistics truck.

[bugsss__bunny]

It is necessary to give Ukraine to test it in Russia

[americanknow]

What? Canister testing? When are you going to make hypersonic missile like Chian and Russia. They finished it a decade ago. What's Darpa doing?

[rwnorris]

The Weather Channel only talks about DARPA.

No one women can think that far in advance.

Sincerely,
R.W.N II

[Americaisgreat]

I wonder why they don't do the thing that Russian air defense do when the missile pops out

[cedriceric]

china and russia are overjoyed at this news 🤗

[SoCalFreelance]

This seems like an ordinary defense contractor test. I expect more innovative things to come out of DARPA like the invention of the Internet, GPS, and bipedal robots.

[TyphoonUSSR]

This is not a hypersonic missile, this is a conventional ballistic missile with an improved warhead that slows down less in the atmosphere than usual. But you have to pay for everything. Thermal protection and structural reinforcement eat up the weight of the warhead, reducing its destructive power. The effectiveness of such weapons back in the 80s of the last century was recognized as low, so this program was closed. In fact, this is a repetition of the Pershing-2 program.

[MrSnapsorgas]

Congratulations, you are like 30 years behind Russia in Hypersonic . ))))

[tamarinds]

lmao Im so pumped for WW3. pretty bored otherwise ngl fr fr dead ass no cap nuclear war be bussin on god on gang on everything

[gamerfortynine]

Launch platforms are a bad idea in the 21st century. Contain everything in a standard semi truck trailer. Wtf would you want a dedicated unique looking launch platform?

[Анатолий-шз]

Ребята - вы не там испытываете. Надо сразу в Украине испытывать и валить по раzzийским воякам. А бабы еще нарожают🤣