Hypersonic weapons are capable of traveling at five to 25 times the speed of sound. Generally the term refers to a specific class of missiles, which includes hypersonic glide vehicles, hypersonic cruise missiles and ballistic missiles. Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Heidi Shyu recently articulated the Department of Defense’s motivation to develop hypersonic weapons and keep pace with the country’s adversaries and preserve national security.
“Hypersonic weapons are the next generation of game-changing weapons. They are fast, maneuverable, and can deliver devastating payloads. China and Russia have already invested heavily in hypersonic weapons, and we need to do the same to maintain our technological edge,” Shyu said Wednesday at the Hill’s virtual event, National Security at the Speed of Sound: Hypersonics in American Defense.
The most prominent military technology’s preparation and creation will be the central focus of Potomac Officers Club’s fast-approaching 10th Annual Defense R&D Summit, which is targeted for January 2024. Register here now to save your spot; last year’s event was packed with big-name government contracting companies and executives and high-level Pentagon R&D officials.
Shyu, who is a multiple Wash100 Award recipient, said that the only way to win the race in producing the most advanced hypersonics weapons is to invest in well-trained and distinguished personnel to man the programs.
“We need to make sure that we have the best and brightest minds working on our hypersonic challenges,” she said, going on to point toward a close working relationship with both the private sector and academic institutions as key to ensuring a smooth transition from development stages to operationalizing the weapons in the battlespace.
“We need to be more nimble and agile in working with industry,” she continued, adding, “We need to do a better job of understanding the needs of the warfighter and to deliver the capabilities that they need.”
During her remarks, Shyu imparted an overall urgency on the DOD’s part to ramp up development and fielding efforts for hypersonics.
Potomac Officers Club’s Defense R&D Summit is an annual rite of passage for GovCon executives in the D.C. area and beyond looking to gain insights about the DOD’s most recent tech endeavors and start conversations with colleagues about new partnerships. If this is your field, make sure you and your company have multiple representatives present. Click here to register.
