The Government Accountability Office’s annual weapon system assessment also found that the Air Force is moving to field a hypersonic attack cruise missile in 2027, despite delays driving a compressed flight testing schedule.
"You obviously don't wouldn't buy something that doesn't work. But even if it does work, it's got to be it's got to be the right contribution to the overall weapons mix," said Andrew Hunter, the Air Force's acquisition executive.
AI, autonomous systems, cyber, and EW converge as industry targets faster battlefield effects.
With a successful launch finally under its belt, the major looming question is whether (and when) the Air Force will approve production of the AGM-183A Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon.
The B-21 program will not undertake traditional "block upgrades" to beef up future performance, says Air Force Global Strike Command head Gen. Timothy Ray. Instead, it will incrementally add new capabilities as they become available.
With ground tests this year and a full-up flight test in 2023, OpFires hopes to become the Army’s long-term solution for its Mid-Range Capability missile.
"How are we going to employ hypersonic weapons, what do they bring to the battlefield?," asks Maj. Gen. Mark Weatherington, commander of the 8th Air Force and the Joint-Global Strike Operations Center.
Government can’t stop to update systems, so modernization has to happen without interruptions.