| Operational Fires (OpFires) | |
|---|---|
 OpFires successfully executed its first flight test in July 2022 | |
| Type | Hypersonic glide vehiclemedium-range ballistic missile[1] |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | Experimental program which concluded in FY2022[2] |
| Used by | United States |
| Production history | |
| Designer | DARPA |
| Specifications | |
| Engine | rocket motor |
Operational range | 1000 miles (1609 kilometers) |
| Maximum speed | hypersonic |
Launch platform | specialized pallet forPalletized Load System |
Operational Fires (abbreviated asOpFires) is ahypersonic ground-launched system developed byDARPA for theUnited States Armed Forces.[3] The system deploys a boost glide vehicle. The prime contractor for the program isLockheed Martin.[4] The missile's range is thought to be up to 1,000 miles (1,609 kilometers).[5]
OpFires intends to produce a medium-range hypersonic missile that is cheaper and with less range than theLong-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) to strike larger numbers of targets at operational ranges. It will reuse the glide body from theAGM-183 ARRW. The unique aspect of OpFires is use of a "throttleable" rocket motor, where thrust can be turned off at a desired point mid-flight instead of needing to wait until all fuel is burned to make it better able to hit a short-range target.[6]
The system was successfully tested in July 2022 from aPalletized Load System-based launcher vehicle atWhite Sands Missile Range.[4][7] The 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 aNorthrop Grumman rocket motor, and conducted the test.[8]