Defense Primer: Hypersonic Boost-Glide Weapons
Abstract
The U.S. Department of Defense is pursuing two types of hypersonic weapons technologies: boost-glide systems that place a maneuverable glide vehicle atop a ballistic missile or rocket booster, and cruise missiles that would use high-speed, air-breathing engines known as scramjets to travel to hypersonic speeds. This In Focus addresses only the first of these technologies. The Pentagons FY2021 budget request for hypersonic-related research is $3.2 billionup from $2.6 billion in the FY2020 requestincluding $206.8 million for hypersonic defense programs. This increased funding and statements from Pentagon officials demonstrate growing support for weapons that could attack priority targets promptly and with improved accuracy without facing defeat by an adversarys air or missile defense systems. Pentagon officials have also expressed concerns about advances in hypersonic weapons technologies in Russia and China, and on the potential threats to U.S. forces, allies, and territory.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 13, 2020
- Accession Number
- AD1110855
Entities
People
- Amy F. Woolf
- Kelley M . Sayler
Organizations
- Congressional Research Service