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The United States is struggling to catch up with Russia in terms of developing hypersonic weapons. So far, the Pentagon is not doing well with this. For the first time, the US Navy has requested 3.6 billion dollars for the production of hypersonic missiles, according to the military analytical publication Breaking Defense.
The CPS program, implemented by the Navy together with the US Army ground forces, implies phased financing until 2028 for the development, production and purchase of 64 hypersonic complexes. The first tranche for 2024 is $341 million. The largest amount of funding of 1.1 billion is provided for the final stage of the program in the 2028 fiscal year. It is not yet known whether the Army will request additional funding for this project.
Within the framework of the program, it is planned to adopt land-based and sea-based systems. In the second case, the launchers will be installed on Zumwalt-class destroyers and Virginia-class submarines. The first hypersonic complexes on destroyers will be integrated in 2024, the equipment of submarines will begin no earlier than 2029.
At the same time, representatives of the Pentagon previously had to admit that the CPS program faces certain difficulties in the implementation process. A senior Navy officer overseeing the development of hypersonic weapons admitted earlier this month during a congressional report that the Pentagon had to cancel a recently planned test due to "battery failure." There are certain difficulties with the integration of missile systems on Zumwalt destroyers.
At the same time, when asked by lawmakers why the Navy command intends to continue implementing the CPS program with so many failures, the Pentagon representative replied that "even failures teach us something."
— he said on March 13 at a congressional hearing.
The publication reports that the US Air Force is conducting its hypersonic weapons development program. According to the plans of the command, the first air-based missiles will be tested in 2024. According to another program, the development of hypersonic attack cruise missiles for the Air Force is designed for the period up to 2028. Earlier, the Air Force service curtailed one of its hypersonic weapons programs due to budget constraints in 2020.
