The Imperative of Preparing U.S. for the Hypersonic Threat
By James A. Winnfield
December 07, 2024
Over my years of service, I have witnessed firsthand the rapid evolution of warfare technology. But few advancements have concerned me as much as the emergence of hypersonic weapons. These missiles, capable of traveling at speeds exceeding Mach 5 with unprecedented maneuverability, represent a paradigm shift in modern warfare.
Fortunately, senior Defense Department leadership and industry are not only addressing our own hypersonic capabilities; they are focused on defending against these threats as well – at least on the technical side. But there is still an important gap we should and can close.
As a former naval aviator, I can attest that the first time one of our servicemembers sees a hypersonic threat inbound should not be in combat. This holds true whether it’s an Air Force F-35 pilot, an Army Air Defender operating a THAAD battery, a sailor sitting at an AEGIS fire control display on a DDG, or a Guardian doing missile warning. This isn't just a common-sense opinion, however; it's a vital principle born from personal experience.
As a mid-grade F-14 pilot, I once had the rare opportunity to track and simulate an engagement of an extremely high and fast target off the coast of Southern California that I later learned was most likely an SR-71 Blackbird. The experience was humbling, to say the least. It was an order of magnitude more difficult than anything I had ever done in terms of interception. And that was only at Mach 3 — a fraction of the speed of today's hypersonic threats. If a Mach 3 aircraft presented such challenges for an experienced pilot, imagine the complexities of dealing with Mach 5+ weapons in actual combat situations. It's a scenario we simply cannot afford to deploy our servicemembers unprepared to face.
https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2024/12/07/the_imperative_of_preparing_us_for_the_hypersonic_threat_1077113.html
