Overview
- The Army acknowledged it did not meet its end-2025 plan to field the weapon, leaving the missiles not ready for operational use.
- A trained unit stands ready and a battery was activated on December 17, yet activation did not signify missile readiness.
- The Pentagon’s test office said in October it had not completed an end-to-end operational assessment and lacked data on key performance measures.
- Spending includes a $10.4 billion program for the weapon, more than $12 billion invested in hypersonics since 2018, and an estimated $2.7 billion cost for the first battery, according to the GAO.
- The setback highlights pressure on acquisition changes pushed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and raises concern as China and Russia deploy hypersonic systems, which Russia has used in Ukraine.