Weapons

America's Hypersonic Danger—Missiles that Go 10 Times the Speed of Sound

In response to this evolving technology, DoD and specifically, the Services are developing various programs under an effort known as Prompt Global Strike. According to Acting Secretary of Defense, Patrick Shanahan, “This is really about industrialization, not about science." Dr. Griffin further expands on this point stating, “It is an effort to get these systems into the field in the thousands…we are going to have to create a new industrial base for these systems.” The Pentagon's 2019 budget reflects the department's growing interest and concern, with approximately $2 billion expected to be allocated during the current fiscal year. In addition, the funding for key hypersonic programs has also increased from $201 million in 2018 to $278 million in 2019.

The Services are approaching Prompt Global Strike in a variety of ways. The Navy conducted its own hypersonic test during a summer 2018 wargame near Hawaii. In the test, a destroyer fired hypervelocity projectiles featuring fins and a radar guidance system to address targets traveling at hypersonic speeds. In theory, these hypervelocity projectiles could potentially target ships, ground targets, aircraft, and even incoming missiles. In April 2018, the Air Force awarded work on the Hypersonic Conventional Strike Weapon under a contract valued at $928 million. This was followed by a successful bid to develop the Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon.