{"id":29713,"date":"2019-03-21T09:00:15","date_gmt":"2019-03-21T09:00:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2019\/03\/21\/is-the-pentagon-moving-quickly-enough-on-hypersonic-defense\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T22:23:25","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T22:23:25","slug":"is-the-pentagon-moving-quickly-enough-on-hypersonic-defense","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/pentagon\/2019\/03\/21\/is-the-pentagon-moving-quickly-enough-on-hypersonic-defense\/","title":{"rendered":"Is the Pentagon moving quickly enough on hypersonic defense?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">WASHINGTON \u2014 As the Pentagon looks to catch up with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2018\/12\/27\/russia-says-its-new-weapon-is-27-times-faster-than-the-speed-of-sound\/\" target=_blank>China and Russia<\/a> in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/pentagon\/2018\/03\/02\/as-putin-touts-hypersonic-weapons-america-prepares-its-own-arsenal-will-it-be-in-time\/\" target=_blank>hypersonic arms race<\/a>, there is a widespread acknowledgement that the technology to defend against weapons capable of reaching Mach 5 or higher simply isn\u2019t there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIf war breaks out tomorrow, we\u2019re probably not going to kill hypersonic boost glide missiles,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/air\/2018\/07\/16\/3-thoughts-on-hypersonic-weapons-from-the-pentagons-technology-chief\/\" target=_blank>Mike Griffin<\/a>, the Pentagon\u2019s undersecretary of research and engineering, said during a March 20 speech. \u201cThe issue about the higher speed hypersonic systems, the boost glide systems, which are not air breathers, is that they are just so much faster. &#8230; By the time you can see it, they are inside our track loop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/space\/2019\/01\/28\/the-next-six-months-could-define-americas-missile-defense-for-a-generation\/\" target=_blank>behind on hypersonic defense<\/a>. We need to catch up, and we will.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/pentagon\/2018\/03\/06\/hypersonics-highest-technical-priority-for-pentagon-rd-head\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"168\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/FDCGFH3URFF5VNJIBFY77FISEQ.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Hypersonics \u2018highest technical priority\u2019 for Pentagon R&#038;D head<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">With Russia and China investing heavily in hypersonic weaponry, the Pentagon needs to prioritize its development plan, a top department official says.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But this won\u2019t be a quick process, and the defensive side of hypersonics isn\u2019t a departmental priority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mike White, the Pentagon\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/pentagon\/2018\/07\/17\/revealed-the-new-structure-for-the-pentagons-tech-and-acquisition-offices\/\" target=_blank>assistant director<\/a> for hypersonics, told reporters during the fiscal 2020 budget rollout that the department sees a three-step plan for hypersonics, and it starts with investing heavily in offensive capabilities first, followed by defensive systems, and then finally, at least a decade away, reusable systems such as airborne vehicles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIf you look at the portfolio and the time phasing on the portfolio, we are stepping out first on the offensive side as we study and assess the path forward to get a robust defensive strategy, and then I think you will see a commensurate increase in emphasis on the defensive side,\u201d said White, who serves as the department\u2019s de facto hypersonics czar under Griffin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s clear that we are stepping forward, currently in this submission, with an aggressive offensive portfolio,\u201d he continued. \u201cThe defensive aspect, we\u2019re making significant investment in the underlying technologies and the knowledge necessary to move forward aggressively to build a system, and I suspect that\u2019s not very far behind.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That discrepancy between offense and defense shows up in the dollar values in the FY20 request; while overall hypersonic investments come in around $2.6 billion, defensive developments take up only $157.4 million of that, according to the Missile Defense Agency\u2019s request.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And that figure for defensive developments drops over the coming years, going to $142.3 million in FY21, $116.9 million in FY22, $119.7 million in FY23 and $122.0 million in FY24.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/space\/2019\/03\/13\/in-memo-air-force-head-hits-space-development-agency-as-not-ready-for-prime-time\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/16x9-composite.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">In memo, Air Force secretary slams Space Development Agency as not ready for prime time<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The Pentagon wants to cut more than 100 current jobs and replace most of them with Space Development Agency roles.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While other work relevant to defensive capabilities is undoubtedly being done elsewhere \u2014 the space sensor layer falls under the purview of the recently stood up Space Development Agency, for example \u2014 a road map <a href=\"https:\/\/comptroller.defense.gov\/Portals\/45\/Documents\/defbudget\/fy2020\/budget_justification\/pdfs\/03_RDT_and_E\/RDTE_Vol2_MDA%20RDTE_PB20_Justification_Book.pdf\" target=_blank>laid out<\/a> in the MDA\u2019s budget justification book shows no system element tests planned through the next five years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While warning not to read into that particular budget drop too much, Tom Karako, a missile defense expert with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, did note \u201cit\u2019s not a positive trend. It\u2019s a bit at odds with the verbal priorities that they\u2019re giving to that mission overall.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Specifically, Karako was surprised to see the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/space\/2019\/03\/13\/pentagon-officially-stands-up-space-development-agency-names-first-director\/\" target=_blank>space sensor layer<\/a>, which was identified by Griffin as the key to the department\u2019s missile defense efforts for the future, receiving only $15 million in FY20 to create \u201ca prototype proliferated Low Earth Orbit (pLEO) communications and data transport layer,\u201d per the Space Development Agency\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/comptroller.defense.gov\/Portals\/45\/Documents\/defbudget\/fy2020\/budget_justification\/pdfs\/03_RDT_and_E\/10_0400_SDA_PB2020.pdf\" target=_blank>budget request<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThat\u2019s just enough to build some paper satellites. That\u2019s not prioritizing the space sensor layer as it needs to be \u2014 that\u2019s kicking the can,\u201d Karako said. \u201cThis isn\u2019t the missile defense \u2018masterpiece,\u2019 this is \u2018Masterpiece Theater.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI think Mike Griffin has an idea of what\u2019s the path forward. I would have liked to have seen some milestones for that path. But I don\u2019t. It\u2019s just not here. I expected to have more meat here in term of the budget submission,\u201d he added. \u201cIt sure looks to me like somebody lost a battle there. They prioritized the offensive side, and that\u2019s fine. But the counter-hypersonic architecture is going to take some time to design, develop and build.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That offense will be the focus early on doesn\u2019t mean industry isn\u2019t eyeing what it expects will be a lucrative business on the defensive side.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/industry\/2019\/03\/19\/northrop-launches-hypersonic-defense-push\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/northrop-grumman-counter-hypersonics-defeating-invincible-v2.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Northrop launches hypersonic defense push<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">One of the world&#039;s largest defense firms is positioning itself early to nab counter-hypersonic contracts.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Northrop Grumman, for example, recently launched a new website dedicated to advertising its hypersonic defense strategy. While light on details, the advertising push is a clear sign that the company sees a large potential market, even if down the road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Joanna Cangianelli, Northrop\u2019s director of business development for missile defense solutions and counter-hypersonics, said it was logical that offensive capabilities are getting the initial funding, as they are further along than defensive technologies. But the company wants to start investing now so it\u2019s ready for when the department pluses up its defensive budget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIf you look at it from a business development standpoint, 2022 and 2023 are not that far away. and you need to start investing in solutions now, in capabilities and technologies, and pulling those together in order to develop something that can be fielded in 2024 or 2025 when the money starts flowing,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Added Kenn Todorov, vice president of missile defense solutions and the lead for Northrop\u2019s counter-hypersonic efforts: \u201cWe\u2019re investing a lot of our own resources to give us a leg up and to do somethings so we\u2019ll be ready, forward-looking as opposed to reactionary. We clearly are anticipating that those [budget] numbers will come, and we want to be ready for them and be out front when we do so we\u2019ll be well-positioned.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Pentagon is still years away from being able to defend against hypersonic weapons.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":32208,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":19,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":{"2":{"categories":["pentagon-congress","news","middle-column","home"],"primary_category":"pentagon-congress"},"4":{"categories":["pentagon-congress","news","daily-news-roundup","newsletters","middle-column","home"],"primary_category":"pentagon-congress"},"9":{"categories":["home","sensors","intel-geoint","daily-brief","newsletters"],"primary_category":"sensors"}}},"categories":[160,29,162,88,36,19],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3378],"class_list":["post-29713","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-digital-show-dailies","category-digital-show-daily","category-global-force-symposium","category-newsletters","category-pentagon"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"MNEAN3SXERCYXOFFWWOQW3RTY4","arc_canonical_url":"\/pentagon\/2019\/03\/21\/is-the-pentagon-moving-quickly-enough-on-hypersonic-defense\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Is the Pentagon moving quickly enough on hypersonic defense? - Defense News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Pentagon is still years away from being able to defend against hypersonic weapons.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Is the Pentagon moving quickly enough on hypersonic defense?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Pentagon is still years away from being able to defend against hypersonic weapons.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" 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