Hypersonic Weapons Summit Fall

The US has actively pursued the development of hypersonic weapons as a part of its conventional prompt global strike program since the early 2000s. In recent years, it has focused such efforts on hypersonic glide vehicles and hypersonic cruise missiles with shorter and intermediate ranges for use in regional conflicts.

Although funding for these programs has been relatively restrained in the past, both the Pentagon and Congress have shown a massive interest in pursuing the development and near-term deployment of hypersonic systems. This is due to the growing interest in these technologies in Russia and China, leading to a heightened focus in the United States on the strategic threat posed by hypersonic flight.

With recent successful tests, the path to hypersonic deployment seems closer than ever for the United States. However, there are many technological and operational decisions to be made before fielding an operational weapon. Meeting the pace at which the Services wants to test and field a hypersonic offensive capability will be a challenge, but doing so is critical to the National Defense Strategy of the United States Military.