As the U.S.works to refill its missile stockpile, it is also looking to develop new weapons for its arsenal."We're going to need all three tiers of missiles.
The cheap ones, the ones that are now the high-end like Patriot, and then maybe some hypersonics," said Mark Cancian, a retired U.S.Marines colonel and senior advisor with the CSIS Defense and Security Department.The U.S.
military is taking an increasing interest in hypersonic weapons, which are maneuverable and travel five times faster than the speed of sound."These hypersonic systems are now seen as the novel revolutionary system and the ballistic missile is seen as the archaic one," said UC Berkeley Senior Research Scholar Cameron Tracy.US FALLS BEHIND IN HYPERSONIC RACE AS CHINA, RUSSIA GAIN EDGEDefense startups are racing to make hypersonic missiles cheaper and easier to mass produce as the Pentagon looks to expand its arsenal.(Tom Brenner/Bloomberg via Getty Images; Sarah Nelson/ US Army Contracting Command)But the weapons the military has traditionally invested in could come at a cost.
Estimates from the Government Accountability Office show missiles for the Army’s long-range hypersonic weapon, the Dark Eagle, could cost more than $40 million each.As the Navy works to equip its Zumwalt Destroyers with hypersonics, the GAO puts estimates at $70 million per missile – which includes costs to develop and incorporate the necessary technologies.
The GAO also notes the modernization project is two years behind schedule."In the long run, for example, the Army thinks that the long-ranged hypersonic weapon will become cheaper as production ramps up," said Xiaodon Liang, Arms Control Association Senior Policy Analyst for Nuclear Weapons Policy and Disarmament.Tomahawk missiles cost around $2.6 million according to the U.S.Navy.
Army budget documents show Patriot missiles cost nearly $4 million.Precision Strike Missiles or PrSMs cost $1.6 million per unit.
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