“The Army’s LRHW missile could cost $106 million per missile and the program could add as much as $7 billion to the Army’s budget over the next few years.”
“On March 30, 2021, the Chief of Staff of the Army discussing the LRHW reportedly noted, “The politics of where they’re based, how they’re based, will be up to the policymakers and the diplomats.” Given the 1,725 mile range limitation of the LRHW, the inability to secure overseas basing rights for these units could limit or negate their effectiveness. On December 1, 2021, the Secretary of the Army reportedly suggested the LRHW “will likely be fielded in the United States, rather than in allied countries near China” and “the Army is ready, when called upon, to be able to put those kinds of capabilities in the region. But it’s really [the State and Defense Departments] that will take the lead in those discussions.” Reportedly, in May 2022, the Secretary of the Army noted that the Army did not yet have basing agreements for long-range systems but “discussions were ongoing” with a number of countries in the Indo-Pacific region. Given the importance of LRHW basing, Congress might examine ongoing Army efforts to secure LRHW basing in both Europe and the Indo-Pacific region.”
“The Army’s Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW), with a reported range of 1,725 miles, consists of a ground-launched missile equipped with a hypersonic glide body and associated transport, support, and fire control equipment. According to the Army:
This land-based, truck-launched system is armed with hypersonic missiles that can travel well over 3,800 miles per hour. They can reach the top of the Earth’s atmosphere and remain just beyond the range of air and missile defense systems until they are ready to strike, and by then it’s too late to react. Extremely accurate, ultrafast, maneuverable and survivable, hypersonics can strike anywhere in the world within minutes. For the battery, the task force and the U.S. Army, they provide a critical strategic weapon and a powerful deterrent against adversary capabilities.”
