Hypersonic Missiles Operational By 2023
And it’s not China.
First Live Hypersonic Missile Rounds To Be Delivered to Army Unit Next Year
The service remains on pace to field an offensive hypersonic unit by fiscal 2023, general says.
By ANDREW EVERSDEN
WASHINGTON, DC: The US Army will deliver its first operational rounds of its Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon to a unit “in about a year from now” and remains on track to meet its deadline to deliver an offensive unit by the end of fiscal 2023, according to the three-star overseeing the effort.
“We’ll start delivering the first of their operational rounds to that unit in FY23, so about a year from now,” Lt. Gen. Neil Thurgood, director of hypersonics, directed energy, space and rapid acquisition, who also oversees the Army Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office, told reporters at the annual AUSA conference earlier this week.
“They’ll get all of their operational rounds by the end of FY23 and we’ll have met the guidance we were given, which was to have an operational offensive unit by the end of FY23,” he said.
The news that the unit will receive its first live rounds follows the delivery of its first equipment for the ground-base hypersonic missile earlier in the month — including launchers, battery operations center and modified trucks and trailer. Soldiers will now train on that hardware in preparation for the delivery of the missiles and future flight tests.
Didn’t want to step on Mason’s post yesterday, but I think this answers MCPO USN’s question there. It’s a long way between test and actual operational capability. While China has completed a hypervelocity test with the demonstrated capability to hit the ground, the US Army will have an operational system very soon.
Category: "Your Tax Dollars At Work", Army, China
God damn, it’s about time.
It’s going on Navy ships, too. Not sure what the Air Force is up to, but no doubt they’re in the game as well.
I’m not so sure about that.
They could make bombers obsolete. No bombers means much less fighters and on down the line. The AF fought tooth and nail against drones and then started coming on board later. Not sure what an airforce will look like without pilots in the air but I am willing to bet we will see something like it in my son’s lifetimes.
What is up Xi’s ass? He’s seems a lot more dangerous than the usual CCP turd. I wouldn’t be surprised to find out he thinks China could out last the west in an actual nuclear war. He has the numbers. I’ve also read that China has a minimum of 20 million to maybe as many as 35 million military aged males that have an absolute zero chance of ever finding a female mate. A result of the one child policy and the murder of millions of infant girls. Good times.
He’ll be talking about Lebensraum next month.
Maybe they can look in the “Russian Women Seeking” ads.
Spot on Sgt K. Didn’t take an abacus to cypher out that he could lose a billion Chinese Citizens and STILL out number us. I don’t think the Chinese Communists want to destroy us, per se, it’s more of a wanna take over/world domination thing. Our natural resources, including arable land, and multitudes of “Comfort Women” for the single “I got nothing to lose and nothing waiting at home” soldiers that may be squirreled away on the container ships when the invasion hits are a very tempting prize. The work that the domestic enemies of our Republic have already done means that much of the population are docile and used to the ruling class telling them what to do. The rest of us will go down fighting. The scary scenario is in the “One Second After” Series when the “terrorists” pop a nuke creating an EMP, shutting down the grid to cripple our military/economy, then moving in on the west coast offering “aid and comfort”. Then it gets really weird.
“…operational offensive unit…” Yep, sounds like a job for the King of Battle. Soften ’em up, then let loose the Dogs of War. Good to know that these systems will be placed on Floating Artillery Platforms as well. We’ll have to see what the Aerial Artillery Platform Airedales do. Saw a blurb the other day that Air Force was putting a laser gun in the air. Least they had the good sense to put it on an aircraft that had the wings and motors properly mounted.
Wonder if we’ll see a separate command set up for these Rocket Forces? Prolly need a few more GO Billets created, you know for…reasons.
Just wait until Signal comes up with a magic bullet.
We operate at the speed of light.
Pretty sure the Cubans are microwaving the hell out of the embassy.
This all hides the fact that for 75+ years we have had alien technology and we’ll forever have the technological upper hand. As God and the off world allies want. We’re the chosen ones. (sarc)
If we have it the Chinese have it as well. The intellectual transfers under Clinton were stunning. They sold them an entire cruise missile factory.
Somehow, I’m not relying on the space aliens to save us from the ChiComs.
Yeah, what have they done for us since Velcro?
Tang.
Space Herpes?
😄😁
I was hoping for those green alien women from Star Trek…
I would not be surprised if biden has ordered intelligence assets out of China. A hypersonic missile? We had no idea.
Democrats want us the learn Mandarin to keep China happy.
So far I see multi-million rockets with NO WARHEAD that can crash at Mach 5 into something. That might make sense for the Navy, if that something is a ChiCom ship trying to dominate the South China Sea, or on its way to an invasion of Taiwan.
But what target would a U.S. infantry commander have that could be destroyed and affect the outcome of a battle?
A headquarters building or bunker? A command track?
There aren’t going to be hundreds or thousands of these, like conventional artillery and MRLS warheads. We are talking a corps commander with maybe ten. And he would probably need National Command Authority to launch one, since it has “strategic implications.”
So it sounds like a boondoggle to me.
The Navy may be stupid enough to spend billions on a ship with a cannon with no ammunition. Look up the destroyer Zumwalt.
Hmmmm……
A hypersonic missile with no warhead. At hypersonic speeds, and missile mass, would it NEED a warhead in order to do massive damage?
Ok, all you intel and geek types out there: compare the destructive power of a “God Rod” (inert telephone pole sized metal rod falling from space) -vs- a hypersonic missile without a warhead.
I’m sure there are too many unknowns and variables to come up with a definitive answer, but give it your best SWAG. Answer can be in joules or megatons, your choice. Either one is scary and unstoppable if a madman decides to push the GO button.
Force = mass x acceleration = earth shattering kaboom.
“…earth shattering kaboom.”
Marvin grins!
Exactly.
Not really– at that speed, hunk of metal has the explosive value as the same weight of C4 (probably more).