Hypersonic-missile R and D poised to disrupt conventional defense market, report says
NewsAugust 15, 2019
LONDON. Ongoing research and development efforts in the hypersonic missile market is set to disrupt the defense market globally, according to recent data from Jane's/IHS Markit.
The U.S., China, and Russia are all known to be investing heavily in hypersonics, while several other countries are also exploring the technology, albeit to a much lesser degree. Jane's estimates that the U.S. has spent over $3.3 billion for the research and development of hypersonic technologies and weapons, with an additional 2020 budget request of $2.6 billion.
Rahul Udoshi, analyst at Jane's by IHS Markit, said of the market: "Currently, we see Russia and China both leading research and developmental work with considerable funding, suggesting that the U.S. has somehow fallen behind these countries. However, this may change in the near term, given the existing US programmes' priority and commitment."
"As hypersonic weapons fly at extremely high speeds and some are maneuverable, they are more likely to disrupt the international offense-defense balance of technology, increasingly blurring the line between nuclear and conventional weapons," Udoshi said. "Striking virtually anywhere in the world within an hour means these weapons affect the perceptions of strategic stability and further risk crisis escalation over ambiguity of warhead types."
Click these links to read more of Military Embedded Systems's coverage of hypersonic-missile technology.
