(CNN) The US Air Force's new hypersonic missile program suffered a blow Monday after it failed to launch from a B-52H Stratofortress bomber aircraft flying from Edwards Air Force Base in California. "B-52H Stratofortress took off Monday over the Point Mugu Sea Range intending to fire the first booster test vehicle for the AGM-183A Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) program. Instead, the test missile was not able to complete its launch sequence and was safely retained on the aircraft which returned to Edwards AFB," the Air Force said in a statement. "The ARRW program has been pushing boundaries since its inception and taking calculated risks to move this important capability forward. The weapon is aimed at providing US commanders around the world with "the capability to destroy high-value, time-sensitive targets," according to an Air Force statement.

Source: CNN April 06, 2021 15:18 UTC