Hypersonic missiles, which fly at more than five times the speed of sound, pose a real threat to the U.S. in the hands of our adversaries. To defend against hypersonics, new and innovative technologies like directed energy weapons will be needed.
To deliver this fast-evolving technology, increased funding is only the first step. Today, defense systems technologies often take four or more years to reach the warfighter. The Department of Defense needs to accelerate the current acquisition process for directed energy weapons, reducing the time it takes to field them.
The Pentagon is already taking steps to speed up acquisitions. They should expand these efforts to expedite the process at a larger scale, while aligning warfighter’s operational needs with industry.
For more about fielding the best technical solutions for defense against hypersonic weapons, read my recent piece on NationalDefenseMagazine.org: “Viewpoint: Speed-of-Light Weaponry Requires Faster Acquisition Timelines”.
