Weapons

Navy Pushes Hypersonic Weapon Plan as Putin Boasts He Already Has Them

The Navy has put development of hypersonic weapons on its acquisition wish list even as Russian President Vladimir Putin boasted this week of a successful test and planned deployment in 2019 of "invincible" nuclear-armed versions that can fly at more than 20 times the speed of sound.

Under his plan, released Dec. 17, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson listed the Navy's intention to "develop and field an offensive hypersonic weapon by 2025" as a top priority.

The Air Force also has put a priority on hypersonics, reflecting the increasing concerns of the Pentagon that Russia and China have taken the lead on a technology that potentially poses the threat of making existing missile defense systems obsolete.

In April, the Air Force awarded a contract to develop a prototype hypersonic cruise missile, or the Hypersonic Conventional Strike Weapon.