Weapons: –
As the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Russia attempt to upend the liberal world order and minimize the United States’ (US) presence and influence abroad, the US must embrace and develop emerging technologies to counter, compete, and, if necessary, defeat them. These emerging technologies include weapons systems, such as hypersonic weapons (HSW) and directed energy weapons (DEW), which, while not a solution to every challenge, do enhance the current conventional arsenal, improve its defensive capabilities, and offer a credible deterrent alternative just below the nuclear triad. When looking through the lens of potential conflict with the PRC over Taiwan, HSWs provide the offensive capabilities to help mitigate the PRC’s anti- access area denial strategy to push US and allied forces further away from the conflict zone, thereby limiting their responsiveness and impact. HSW and DEW also provide enhanced defenses for the US at home and abroad against the PRC’s growing conventional and nuclear enterprise.
The development of HSW and DEW has its challenges, however. The US defense industrial base (DIB) lacks the number of firms necessary to research, develop, and produce HSW and DEW, the requisite supply chains to provide the necessary raw materials and components, and the infrastructure to adequately test these weapons. The decline in the workforce and the continued lack of diversity across the industry impede the ability to meet current requirements and stifle innovation. Collectively, these issues have exacerbated the development and fielding of HSW and DEW for operational use and are partially responsible for the current high production costs.
The above challenges are significant but not insurmountable. This report provides recommendations to develop specific requirements for HSW and DEW to deliver a consistent demand signal to the industry on the current and future requirements. Focusing on securing the supply chain and infrastructure shortfalls while addressing systemic human capital issues will improve the DIB. Working with partners and allies across all these areas will lower the current HSW and DEW production costs and better define the collective development requirements. Finally, the government must work with industry and academia to address and incorporate these recommendations. However, if the above issues are not addressed, it will allow the PRC to maintain and grow its asymmetric advantage and potentially dictate what happens next.
Summary of Challenges
- Chinese and Russian Development and Fielding of HSW
- US Development Requires Reconstituting Industrial Capacity and Human Capital
- Competition Among Programs for Funds, Labor, and Infrastructure
- Exorbitant Costs of HSW
- Budget Uncertainty
- Multiple Stakeholders with Competing Interests
- Innovation Ecosystem
- Talent Management – Recruiting and Retaining Skilled Labor
- Securing Globalized Supply Chains
- Ethical, Legal, Environmental, and Humanitarian Concerns
Summary of Recommendations
- Continue Developing HSW & DEW
o HSW Defenses – HSW & DEW Capabilities
o Establish DEW Joint Transition Office
o Continue to invest in lower cost options
- Address Infrastructure and Supply Chain
o Infrastructure Investment – Testing and Surge Limitations
o Exotic Material & High-temperature Component Investments
o Commercialization Efforts
o Legislative/Executive Branch Efforts
- Grow Workforce in Emerging Technologies
o Invest in STEM / Manufacturing Pipelines
o Immigration
o Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives
- Leverage allies and partners
o Joint Research, Development, & Testing
o Cost-Sharing Measures
o Diplomatic & Transparency Efforts
Read the report →