The United States must significantly increase funding and support for advanced hypersonic weapons development to effectively counter similar programs in China and Russia, according to Mark Lewis, a former Defense Department official and hypersonic weapons expert. He expressed confidence that the Trump administration would prioritize this critical defense technology area. “I’m very bullish on hypersonics… I think we’re going to see very steady, consistent funding,” Lewis stated on March 24 during a SpaceNews webinar.
Lewis, currently president and CEO of the Purdue Applied Research Institute, explained that hypersonic weapons—missiles or vehicles exceeding Mach 5—are increasingly vital for modern military strategy because of their ability to evade traditional defense systems. The Pentagon anticipates that China and Russia might target U.S. and allied forces with hypersonic glide vehicles, making them challenging to intercept.
This necessitates accelerated development efforts by the Pentagon, Lewis said. To counter these threats, the administration plans to develop Golden Dome, a layered defense system comprising sensors and interceptor missiles. Lewis highlighted strong Pentagon support for hypersonic weapons technology investments, fueled by opportunities to leverage private sector contributions in commercial test vehicles.
Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg, a key advocate, co-founded Cerberus Capital Management, a private equity firm that has invested in companies like Stratolaunch and North Wind, involved in hypersonic flight testing. “We have key people that are coming into roles in government that understand the importance of hypersonics,” Lewis noted. Senator Jim Banks (R-Ind.) provides crucial support on Capitol Hill.
“We have peer competitors who have made it clear that they’re developing and deploying hypersonic weapons, and we know we’re playing a game of catch up,” Lewis cautioned. Golden Dome faces significant technological hurdles; hypersonic missiles are “very difficult to stop,” but “not impossible to stop,” according to Lewis. Interception requires a network of space-based sensors and advanced, highly maneuverable missiles.
“There’s a simple rule of thumb that says that a defender trying to stop an aggressor has to be about three times more maneuverable than the thing it’s trying to stop,” Lewis explained. Alternative approaches include directed energy weapons. Golden Dome must be a layered system to counter coordinated attacks, not just single weapons. “They’re not going to be shooting one or two. They’re going to be shooting salvos at us,” Lewis warned, citing various potential threats.
“You really have to continue to explore all these various options before you reach a final system architecture,” Lewis concluded.