Getting Up to Speed on Hypersonic Weapons
By JASON SIBERT
More is better is the answer to dangerous hypersonic weapons, according to the Washington establishment.
The Pentagon’s efforts to develop and deploy new hypersonic weapons to rival those of China and Russia may receive a funding boost from Congress. Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.), chairman of the House Armed Services strategic forces subcommittee, vowed to make hypersonic capabilities a top priority in the US national defense budget process for fiscal year 2024, according to reports. Lamborn said in the spring that he aims to speed up the “way too slow” hypersonic weapons systems development programs, primarily by increasing funding for “different testing capabilities and facilities.”
Adm. John Aquilino, head of US Indo-Pacific Command, acknowledged during an April hearing before the full committee that the Pentagon’s advancements in hypersonic weapons programs must “go faster.” Mark Lewis, a former Pentagon official, who has been called an expert in hypersonic weapons, correctly stated that we’re in a race to beat our competitors in this sort of weaponry.
Meanwhile, Iran claimed on June 6 that it has created a new hypersonic medium-range ballistic missile weapons system, named Conqueror, with speeds as high as Mach 15. Experts doubted Iran’s claim. John Krzyzaniak of the Wisconsin Project on Nuclear Arms Control, tweeted, “[D]on’t be dazzled by ‘hypersonic’ claims,” noting that the system resembled a ballistic missile with maneuverable reentry vehicle capability.
The increase in funding for hypersonic weapons, weapons that travel five times the speed of sound, is really a balancing act. Each country is trying to outdo its geopolitical competitors by spending more on these types of weapons. China, Russia and its allies are balancing the United States, and the US is counterbalancing China, Russia and its allies. Now, there is a possibility that the multi-purpose SM-6 missile will be able to knock down hypersonic weapons. However, such defensive weapons could lead to more offensive weapons, as both sides will want to acquire more hypersonic weapons to try to overwhelm the other side’s defense.
The interactions between the world’s great power centers have placed us in Cold War II. At the same time, technology for killing has grown more lethal. Russia is looking weak in Ukraine, but there’s still worries about a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. Is there any hope for an arms control regime that might move the tensions out of the military sphere and into the non-military sphere?
The future looks dim by any measure. If we’re to draw from history, then it might be a long time before any significant diplomatic breakthroughs with our adversaries. In the first Cold War, diplomatic breakthroughs occurred in the 1970s, also a period known as detente, when Soviet Russia was in stagnation and wearing down. This is scary, because our country’s economy and citizenry badly need investment, which is being, and will continue to be, moved to the second Cold War.
However, we must exhaust all the alternatives. Writer Michael Lind suggested years ago that the world’s main powers hold a conference to iron things about and prevent a possible great power war. Things have grown even more unstable since that time. Why don’t the main powers convene a conference sometime next year? Perhaps we could draw down the Ukraine war, establish rules on Taiwan, and engage in other cooling measures. It’s worth a try.
