Weapons

Hypersonic Weapons Developed at Unprecedented Pace

The U.S. Air Force is quickly getting closer to prototype, test and deploy hypersonic weapons on an expedited schedule. Hypersonic weapons can defend against enemy attacks by fast-tracking an ability to launch high-impact, high-speed attacks at Mach 5, five times the speed of sound.

According to senior officials, a “boost glide” hypersonic weapon is one that flies on an upward trajectory up into the earth’s atmosphere before using the speed of its descent to hit and destroy targets.

At the Air Force Global Strike Command there is desire to allocate “all the resources” possible in favor of hypersonic weapon implementation. In fact, Lockheed Martin Corporation was recently awarded a second deal by the U.S. Air Force to expedite prototyping of a hypersonic weapon.

Both an Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon and a Hypersonic Conventional Strike Weapon, which involves using technologies which have not yet been integrated for air-launched delivery, will be developed by Lockheed. Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson Wilson is “moving as fast as possible” when it comes to hypersonic weapons.