Recent reports suggest Russia and China are on a never-ending quest to expand their weaponry and military. According to multiple reports these two countries have been into the development of hypersonic weapons. The U.S. being the greatest adversary of these countries is seriously concerned regarding this movement of Russia and China. With increasing concerns, America has decided to come up with a defense for this latest threat. As a result, the new 2025 budget of America may provide hundreds of millions of dollars solely for developing an effective technology to detect and defend hypersonic missile activities.
With this aim, the Missile Defence Agency and Space Development Agency have developed multiple plans to develop hypersonic missile defense technology. According to recent information, the Pentagon has accelerated this plan and has taken it to a new level. Earlier, the Missile Defence Agency and Space Development Agency announced that they would launch six satellites into the low-Earth orbit. According to their claims, these satellites would provide support for the Hypersonic and Ballistic Missile Tracking Space Sensor (HBTSS), an initiative to track and defend the activities of hypersonic missiles. With the recent advancements in this project, the Pentagon is planning to develop low and medium-Earth orbit satellites. These satellites will support high-speed sensing and detection of hypersonic missiles. So, according to reports, this will be a great initiative as it will enhance the hypersonic weapons defense technology to greater levels.
However, the question of whether the hypersonic missiles can be stopped has been a great concern. Studies reveal that such a mechanism can only be developed by relying on data sharing, high-speed data processing, and AI. As hypersonic missiles move five times faster than the speed of sound, identifying and detecting them is a difficult task. So, the first step is to develop a technology that will be able to transmit information at high speed, for which the Pentagon and the Missile Defense Agency are working on multiple programs.
The major motive behind the development of the Hypersonic Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor is also the same. This technology is said to establish a fast and continuous track of hypersonic missiles with the help of the interconnected activities of small satellites. Years before itself, Mike Ciffone, director of Strategy, Capture & Operations, OPIR & Geospatial Systems, Northrop Grumman said that data fusion for such projects can be attained only with the help of computer processing assisted by AI.
Although the plans regarding the hypersonic missile weapons defense technology are more or less finalized, the existing concern is regarding how fast the technology can be launched. The Pentagon has already requested $9.8 billion in the 2025 budget for the development of this project. It has also been noted that an additional $163.4 million was also requested for the production, supply, and testing of the hypersonic systems and defense technologies. Although the project was initiated and funded along with the aid offered by Japan, reports indicated that procedures were slowed down. However, the latest reports confirm that the project is on track and the Pentagon has accelerated the development of hypersonic missile defense technology.
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