Photo credit: US ArmyUS Army has successfully tested a hypersonic warhead using a cannon-based launch system derived from its cancelled Strategic Long Range Cannon (SLRC) programme, marking a new approach to developing next-generation hypersonic weapons at a lower cost.The live-fire demonstration was conducted at Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona using the Heavy Artillery Test System (HATS), a modified version of the giant cannon originally designed for the SLRC project. The test was carried out by the US Army DEVCOM Armaments Center in partnership with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.Israel ‘Seals Off’ Blast Site To Hide Damage At Secret Missile, Nuclear Facility?Unlike conventional hypersonic tests that rely on expensive rocket launches, the cannon-based system accelerates test articles to extremely high speeds, allowing engineers to study the terminal phase of hypersonic flight, including aerodynamic performance, structural integrity and warhead behaviour, at a fraction of the cost.The Army said the test successfully validated HATS as a platform for hypersonic research and generated critical data for future weapon development. Officials added that adapting the cancelled SLRC into its current configuration required nearly two years of engineering work.Originally unveiled in 2019, the Strategic Long Range Cannon was designed to strike targets more than 1,000 miles (1,600 km) away. Although the programme was later cancelled, its technology has now been repurposed as a dedicated hypersonic testing platform rather than a battlefield weapon.The Army believes the cannon-based launch method could significantly reduce the cost and complexity of hypersonic development by eliminating the need for rocket boosters during many developmental trials. While operational systems such as the Dark Eagle Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon will still require full-scale flight testing, HATS will enable faster and more frequent evaluation of new materials, components and warhead designs before they advance to missile testing.The demonstration underscores how technology from the scrapped SLRC programme is continuing to support the US military's broader effort to accelerate hypersonic weapons development.