EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES
BREAKING: U.S. Hypersonic Programs Using Last Century’s Engineering Techniques
7/29/2024
By Stew Magnuson
NDIA illustration
Hypersonic weapons might be a technology of the future but at least four of the Pentagon’s six ongoing development programs are failing to take full advantage of modern engineering techniques, a Government Accountability Office report released July 29 found.
The United States is playing catch up with Russia and China, which have already demonstrated hypersonic weapons that can fly at speeds of more than Mach 5 and are maneuverable. The Air Force, Navy and Army among them has six programs in the works but none has come to fruition.
“Years of effort and billions of dollars spent on hypersonic weapon development have yielded considerable progress, but DoD has yet to field its first operational hypersonic weapon system. Yet even fielding these first prototypes will not ensure an effective or affordable capability,” GAO stated.
Four of the six programs are failing to use modern techniques such as digital twins and digital engineering in their development, said the report, “Hypersonic Weapons: DoD Could Reduce Cost and Schedule by Following Leading Practices.”
https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2024/7/29/breaking-us-hypersonic-programs-using-last-centurys-engineering-techniques
