A House Armed Services subcommittee is currently conducting a hearing on adversary hypersonic capabilities. Hypersonic weapons are capable of moving at speeds up to 5 times the speed of sound, equivalent to one mile per second, and have the ability to overwhelm or evade traditional missile defenses.
While there are existing ballistic missile systems that can travel at hypersonic speeds, it is believed that China and Russia have more advanced hypersonic weapons compared to the U.S. China's hypersonic systems include hypersonic glide vehicles that can maneuver through the atmosphere after an initial ballistic launch phase. Beijing is also developing hypersonic cruise missiles that utilize air-breathing engines like scramjets to achieve high speeds and maneuverability.
The U.S. is actively working to enhance its hypersonic capabilities through initiatives such as the Army's multibillion-dollar Dark Eagle program. Additionally, a private U.S. defense company, Stratolaunch, recently completed the first powered flight of its reusable hypersonic test vehicle, marking a significant milestone in hypersonic technology development.
President Biden's fiscal year 2025 budget requests include $9.8 billion to deliver a mix of hypersonic and long-range subsonic missiles to address the growing threat posed by China and Russia's advancements in conventional and hypersonic weapons. This budget allocation reflects the U.S. government's commitment to enhancing its military capabilities in response to evolving global security challenges.
It is crucial for the U.S. to prioritize the development and testing of hypersonic weapons to ensure its strategic advantage in an increasingly competitive international security landscape. As China and Russia continue to invest heavily in their military capabilities, maintaining technological superiority in hypersonic weapons is essential for safeguarding national security interests.
