The current state of military hypersonic programs
Hypersonic weapons and the role they will play in modern warfare are evolving rapidly. The U.S. Navy's Conventional Prompt Strike program and the U.S. Army's Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon program are leading the charge for hypersonic advancements, and adversarial hypersonic developments are inspiring embedded electronics manufacturers to build defense and detection systems designed to better protect the home front. In the fourth episode of On the Radar, Emma Helfrich and John McHale discuss the concept of the hypersonic weapon and its history with the Department of Defense as it stands entering the new year. Also mentioned are additionally notable programs on the forefront of hypersonic weapon and detection innovation including both Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and Georgia Institute of Technology-led strategies. Helfrich and McHale go on to outline funding projections, explain China's hypersonic test launch that occurred in August 2021, and try and break down congressional critiques of these MACH 5 missiles.