DOD Official: US Needs Improved Hypersonic Capabilities

William LaPlante, undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, said the Department of Defense is focused on improving its hypersonic missile capabilities.

Speaking at a House Armed Services Committee hearing on Thursday, LaPlante, 2024 Wash100 winner and a past Potomac Officers Club speaker, discussed the department’s plan to improve the country’s hypersonic weapons after testing the U.S. Air Force’s Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon project.

However, the acquisition and sustainment undersecretary did not specify other details of how the department plans to boost the country’s hypersonic capabilities. He said that it is not something he can discuss publicly, but the DOD is open to hosting lawmakers who want to know more about the planned system, DefenseScoop reported. 

Heidi Shyu, undersecretary of defense for research and engineering and a Wash100 Award winner, discussed the importance of investing in hypersonic weapons, emphasizing how the weapon is a game-changer against adversaries.

The Pentagon has been working to establish a dependable hypersonic system. In May 2023, General Electric, Carbon-Carbon Advanced Technologies and Northrop Grumman collaborated with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy to accelerate the development of hypersonic technology by supporting the expansion of the domestic hypersonic industrial base.