Is the Pentagon Wasting Billions on Hypersonic Weapons?

The Department of Defense’s hypersonic weapons program is facing significant headwinds, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released Monday, July 29.

Despite billions of dollars in investment and a pressing need to keep pace with adversaries like China and Russia, the US military has yet to deploy a single operational hypersonic weapon. Not one.

Critical Flaws in Pentagon’s Hypersonic Weapons Program

The GAO’s findings paint a troubling picture of a program plagued by delays, cost overruns, and a lack of transparency.

It also uncovered that while the military prioritizes speed in developing these weapons, it often neglects crucial steps in the development process.

The report highlights several key issues:

Lack of User Focus

Despite the critical importance of user feedback, four out of six hypersonic weapon programs being developed by the Army, Air Force, and Navy are failing to incorporate input from those who will ultimately use these systems. This could lead to weapons that are less effective and less adaptable to real-world conditions.

Outdated Development Practices

Many of these programs do not utilize modern digital engineering tools, which can streamline the design process, reduce costs, and improve overall product quality.

Cost Estimation Challenges

The Pentagon’s limited experience with hypersonic weapons has made it difficult to estimate the costs of these programs accurately.

The Navy’s Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) program, for instance, relies heavily on expert opinions due to a lack of historical data, which can be unreliable and lead to inflated budgets.

The GAO report revealed the staggering costs of the top hypersonic weapons programs, with the Army’s system projected to cost $10.3 billion and the Navy’s CPS estimated at a whopping $30 billion.

Transparency Issues

To make matters worse, the Pentagon has been criticized for failing to provide Congress with a clear and comprehensive picture of the program’s progress and challenges. This lack of transparency hinders effective oversight and accountability.

Driving Forces Behind the GAO Study

The GAO’s latest investigation into the Pentagon’s hypersonic weapons program was prompted by the increasing urgency of developing these advanced capabilities.

Hypersonic weapons, capable of traveling at speeds exceeding five times the speed of sound with unpredictable flight paths, represent a significant leap in military technology.

Russia has already demonstrated the use of these weapons in Ukraine, while China has deployed its own hypersonic missile. These advances by adversaries put more pressure on the US to develop its own countermeasures as soon as possible.

Congress, recognizing the importance of hypersonic weapons, included a provision in a joint explanatory statement mandating a GAO review of the DOD’s efforts in this area.

The GAO’s investigation aimed to assess the Pentagon’s progress in several key areas:

• Product development: The GAO examined whether the DOD was effectively employing leading practices to ensure that hypersonic weapons meet military needs and are developed efficiently.
• Cost estimation: Given the high costs associated with these programs, the GAO assessed the Pentagon’s ability to accurately estimate and manage program expenses.
• Risk management: The GAO evaluated the Pentagon’s overall approach to identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks in the development and deployment of hypersonic weapons.

Can the Pentagon Turn Things Around?

In response to the identified shortcomings, the GAO has outlined a series of ten recommendations, including bolstering user feedback in system design, expanding the use of advanced digital engineering tools, refining cost estimates for programs like CPS, and enhancing overall transparency through enterprise-level reporting.

Notably, the Pentagon has expressed agreement to the scathing assessment and has committed to implementing these recommendations.

“[The Pentagon] concurred with all GAO recommendations, to include providing additional information to congressional decision-makers on DOD’s progress in managing risks for hypersonics,” Bloomberg reported.

If done right, this could trigger a positive shift towards a more effective and accountable approach to hypersonic weapons development.

Nevertheless, as the global arms race heats up, the US military faces daunting challenges in catching up and maintaining its technological advantage.

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