Thursday, January 14, 2021
  • About us
    • Write for us
    • Disclaimer
    • Terms of use
    • Privacy Policy
  • RSS Feeds
  • Advertise with us
  • Contact us
DefenceTalk
  • Home
  • Defense News
    • Defense & Geopolitics News
    • War Conflicts News
    • Army News
    • Air Force News
    • Navy News
    • Missiles Systems News
    • Nuclear Weapons
    • Defense Technology
    • Cybersecurity News
  • Military Photos
  • Defense Forum
  • Military Videos
  • Military Weapon Systems
    • Weapon Systems
    • Reports
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Defense News
    • Defense & Geopolitics News
    • War Conflicts News
    • Army News
    • Air Force News
    • Navy News
    • Missiles Systems News
    • Nuclear Weapons
    • Defense Technology
    • Cybersecurity News
  • Military Photos
  • Defense Forum
  • Military Videos
  • Military Weapon Systems
    • Weapon Systems
    • Reports
No Result
View All Result
DefenceTalk
No Result
View All Result

US DoD on ‘Aggressive’ Track With Hypersonic Weapons Development

by US Department of Defense
July 24, 2020
in Technology News
2 min read
0
US DoD on ‘Aggressive’ Track With Hypersonic Weapons Development

The Pegasus air-launched space booster hypersonic test vehicle is carried aloft under the right wing of NASA's B-52 aircraft on its first captive flight from the Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif., Nov. 21, 2010.

30
SHARES
396
VIEWS

One of the Defense Department’s top priorities is developing hypersonic weapons capability, a particularly important goal, considering recent developments in this area by near-peer competitors China and Russia, the assistant director for hypersonics from the office of the undersecretary for research and engineering said.

Mike White, who spoke at the Institute for Defense and Government Advancement Counter Hypersonic Weapons Summit today, said the department has taken a fast-track, four-phase approach.

The first phase consisted of concept demonstrations, test and evaluation and weapons system prototype, he said. The next phase was in transitioning promising technology development to concept demonstration.

Phase three will be in accelerated fielding of capability and weapons system prototypes to warfighters, White said, and phase four, starting with the fiscal year 2022 budget cycle, will be buying hypersonic weapons in numbers and delivering prototypes to the warfighter for future production buys in programs of record.

It’s an all-hands on deck effort, he said, with NASA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the Space Development Agency, the Missile Defense Agency and national laboratories partnering in the effort to move this along expediently and effectively.

The Defense Department also recently stood up the Joint Hypersonic Transition Office to focus on creating a university consortium to aid in key science and technology aspects and to train the best and brightest for the next generation workforce. In addition to academia, industry partners will play the key role in delivering these weapons to the warfighters, White noted.

Much of the current focus is on offensive hypersonic weapons systems. The bulk of the investment is going to provide theater commanders with lethal, medium- and intermediate-range systems that will counter adversary efforts to deny access to U.S. forces in the air, land, sea and space domains, he said.

White said that the defensive side is much more difficult to predict and prepare for because hypersonic vehicles travel with unpredictable maneuverability at over five times the speed of sound at near space levels.

White said that the challenge is tracking and targeting those systems in the upper reaches of the atmosphere — 100,000 to 150,000 feet above the earth because new sensors and intercept vehicles and the associated architecture will need to be developed.

Tags: arms racehypersonicHypersonic weaponsus defense
Previous Post

Trump tells Putin hopes to avoid US-Russia-China arms race

Next Post

Russia conducts space-based anti-satellite weapons test

Related Posts

Night-Vision Revolution: Less Weight, Improved Performance

Night-Vision Revolution: Less Weight, Improved Performance

January 11, 2021

For decades U.S. warfighters have benefitted from advanced night-vision technology, allowing pilots to fly low-level missions on pitch-black nights and...

Trump order targets Chinese internet giants TikTok, WeChat

Trump targets Chinese apps as his days in office dwindle

January 7, 2021

With the end of his presidency looming, Donald Trump on Tuesday launched a crusade against Chinese apps, branding them a...

Next Post
Space-superiority exercise, Space Flag, concluded successfully

Russia conducts space-based anti-satellite weapons test

Latest Defense News

DOD’s Autonomous Vessel Sails Through Transit Test, Participates in Exercise Dawn Blitz

DOD’s Autonomous Vessel Sails Through Transit Test, Participates in Exercise Dawn Blitz

January 14, 2021
NORAD Air Defense Exercise Planned for National Capital Region

NORAD Air Defense Exercise Planned for National Capital Region

January 13, 2021
Russia Developing Anti-Drone Weapons

Afghanistan probes air strike that killed civilians

January 11, 2021
Night-Vision Revolution: Less Weight, Improved Performance

Night-Vision Revolution: Less Weight, Improved Performance

January 11, 2021
Biden: Better Conventional Arms Will Allow Nuclear Drawdown

Biden urged to renounce sole control of US nuclear weapons

January 11, 2021
Final Trophy Active Protection Systems Delivered to US Army

Final Trophy Active Protection Systems Delivered to US Army

January 11, 2021

Defense Forum Discussions

  • United States Defense Thread
  • General Aviation Thread
  • Indonesia: 'green water navy'
  • Russian Navy Discussions and Updates
  • New Coronavirus threat
  • NZDF General discussion thread
  • Testing the Nikon Z7 II; What a Great Camera with Super Focus
  • General Maritime News & Discussion
  • Bombings, Mass shootings & Domestic Security Issues in the US
  • Air defence strategy (in the Australian context)
DefenceTalk

© 2003-2020 DefenceTalk.com

Navigate Site

  • Defence Forum
  • Military Photos
  • RSS Feeds
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Contact us

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Defense News
    • Defense & Geopolitics News
    • War Conflicts News
    • Army News
    • Air Force News
    • Navy News
    • Missiles Systems News
    • Nuclear Weapons
    • Defense Technology
    • Cybersecurity News
  • Military Photos
  • Defense Forum
  • Military Videos
  • Military Weapon Systems
    • Weapon Systems
    • Reports

© 2003-2020 DefenceTalk.com