The Pentagon wants to fast-track and mass produce its emerging arsenal of hypersonic weapons.

Gillian Bussey, director of the Pentagon’s Joint Hypersonics Transition Office, said that the United States needs to invest heavily in increasing production rates of crucial elements for hypersonic weapons. Bussey highlighted the importance of “thermal protection systems for glide vehicles and additive manufacturing for cruise missile engines.”

Bussey would like to see greater overall production capacity in order to produce “sufficient quantities” of components and sub-components needed for the weapons.

"I would say that everything we're doing in terms of the interceptors, the strike weapons isn't going to make a difference unless we have sufficient quantities," Bussey said, according to a Pentagon report. “Having a dozen hypersonic missiles—regardless of whether they're really hypersonic or not—isn't going to scare anyone."

Citing glide vehicles and additive manufacturing for cruise missile engines as the “long poles in the tent,” Bussey said that "those are the things that take the longest. If we can reduce the production time and increase the capacity and you know double, triple, quadruple those production numbers, I think that's how we'll really make a difference."

Bussey’s thinking seems to align with Sun Tzu’s famous and timeless belief that “mass matters,” given that a salvo or arsenal of hypersonic missiles could greatly multiply attack options for commanders.

While one or two hypersonic missiles could definitely have an impact, particularly if used in a precision strike against a single high-value target, a salvo could be needed to destroy a large advancing enemy force. This means that as the Pentagon accelerates efforts to close an apparent “gap” between the United States and its adversaries in the realm of hypersonic weapons, senior Pentagon and industry leaders are also focused on finding ways to ramp up weapons production rates and “flex” industrial capacity to meet the threat.

One way to facilitate this is through the use of common parts. With this in mind, the Army and Navy are using a common glide body that will be tailored for their specific needs. The Army plans to have its emerging Long Range Hypersonic Weapon ready by 2023. If things go according to plan, the Army will be able to fast-track and mass produce it.

Kris Osborn is the Defense Editor for the National Interest. Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a Highly Qualified Expert with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army—Acquisition, Logistics & Technology. Osborn has also worked as an anchor and on-air military specialist at national TV networks. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The History Channel. He also has a Master's Degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University.

Image: Reuters.