Hypersonic Defense

Abstract

Strategic competitors and regional adversaries are heavily investing in offensive and defensive hypersonic capabilities, and currently have operational hypersonic strike and defensive systems deployed. These are challenging realities of the emerging missile threat environment that United States Missile Defense policy, strategy, and capabilities must address. These competitors continue to expand the capability and capacity of their offensive and defensive hypersonic missile inventories for both strategic and regional hypersonic missiles. Rogue nations have also demonstrated hypersonic missiles in recent flight tests. The Hypersonic Defense (HD) Program Element includes execution of the systems engineering activities, upgrade of existing systems, investment in new technologies, and development of new regional defensive capabilities and maturation for delivery in the 2030s. The Missile Defense Agency's Hypersonic Missile Defense strategy includes leveraging existing systems, delivering an initial regional layered defense capability, and increasing defense capabilities in the future. Activities enabling this strategy are as follows: - Develop a regional Glide Phase Interceptor capability to engage hypersonic threats during the glide phase of flight. The Preliminary Design Review is planned in FY 2030, Critical Design Review is planned in FY 2033, and delivery in FY 2035. - Integrate existing and new overhead sensors like the Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor to track and support intercepts to counter hypersonic threats. - Update existing Ballistic Missile Defense System Overhead Architecture to use information from satellites to create tracks on hypersonic threats. - Modify existing Aegis SPY radar, fire control, and communications, as well as Command & Control, Battle Management, and Communications for track and warning of hypersonic threats. - Execute systems engineering for HD including architecture analysis, technology prioritization, requirements development, planning and analysis. - Partner with the Services and other agencies to leverage work on common technologies, test infrastructure, weapon development, testing, and war-gaming. - Partner with Allies where possible.

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Document Details

Document Type
R2 Budgetary Justification
Publication Date
Oct 01, 2025
Source ID
0604181C_4_0400_PB_2025
Change Summary Explanation
Decrease in FY 2025 reflects the expected savings from the selection of a single missile system prime contractor and the cooperative development agreement with the Japan Ministry of Defense. Resources provide for the transition of program requirements and system design to the development and testing of preliminary design hardware and software builds.
Service Agency Name
Missile Defense Agency

Entities

Organizations

  • Missile Defense Agency

Tags

Readers

  • Enterprise Information Systems Architecture and Joint Command Capability Interoperability Support.
  • Missile Defense Systems.

Technology Areas

  • Hypersonics
  • Space

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