On August 25, research analysts in Congress released an updated report titled "Hypersonic Weapons." The findings of the report indicate that the United States is unprepared for future wars. Analysts acknowledged that the U.S. lags behind its competitors in developing hypersonic weapons compared to other countries in the global arms manufacturing market.
This year, the U.S. Department of Defense requested $3.2 billion to develop hypersonic weapons, with an 18.8% increase in this amount planned for 2022. Despite these funding allocations, the U.S. military currently has no hypersonic weapon systems in operation.
The new report shows that the conditions for developing hypersonic weapons remain unchanged. As a result, U.S. forces will not receive a prototype of the Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) system before 2023. The program is expected to be completed by 2024. In comparison, the U.S. Navy will receive the first samples of the Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) hypersonic artillery for Ohio-class submarines in 2025. By 2028, Virginia-class submarines will be equipped with the nuclear "V-class" weapon.
The U.S. Air Force will be the first to obtain hypersonic weapons, with air-launched "AGM-183" missiles and the Accelerated Response Rapid Weapon (ARRW) set for deployment in 2022. The Air Force has already requested funding for the purchase of the first 12 ARRW missiles, which will be deployed in an initial operational capability.
Analysts in Congress also noted significant progress in the development of Russian hypersonic systems. For example, the hypersonic "Kinzhal" missile was in a test combat mission in 2017. Initial results regarding the Russian hypersonic missile "Zircon" emerged in 2019. During the Army 2021 forum, the Russian Ministry of Defense signed the first contract to receive missiles from the Scientific Association (NPO) for Mechanical Engineering.
