It Will Take More Than Just Defense Primes to Catch Up on Hypersonics
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By Joe Laurienti
February 08, 2022
For the first time in a generation, the United States is experiencing an unacceptable technological deficit as we confront Russia and China. Both countries have made significant strides in hypersonic technology while American hypersonic programs struggle to get off the ground. That is why this week, Secretary of Defense Austin is convening a rare meeting of major defense contractors as part of an effort to catch up to our adversaries.
Hypersonic weapons pose a unique threat to the United States and our partners. Reaching speeds of Mach 5 or greater, these weapons present challenges that our ballistic missile defense capabilities are insufficient to meet. Hypersonics are harder to detect, predict, and deter than anything we have faced before. While the Ukraine crisis might be the Pentagon's first time to contend with a hypersonics gap in a combat situation, China’s hypersonic programs pose the most significant strategic threat to America’s vital interests.
Secretary Austin is right to be concerned, and he is to be commended for sending a clear signal to industry that hypersonic development is a top priority. The problem is he has the wrong people in the room. Catching up to China and Russia will take more than just the defense primes. Rather, to pull ahead, the U.S. will need to couple the vast industrial capacity of the primes with the energy of the new space economy and the innovative efforts from venture-backed companies that specialize in emerging technology.
https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2022/02/08/it_will_take_more_than_just_defense_primes_to_catch_up_on_hypersonics_815718.html
