The United States is working to create satellites to track hypersonic weapons

 

 The US Department of Defense's Missile Defense Agency has approved projects to create space satellites to monitor the threat of hypersonic weapons. This was announced on Wednesday by the American weekly Defense News, noting that it has passed an important stage in the development of a new generation of satellite systems.

 The Pentagon believes that these are needed in connection with the rapid creation in the world, including in Russia and China, of hypersonic weapons, which are much more dangerous and less noticeable than conventional ballistic missiles. The development of a new satellite system called the Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor (HBTSS) should "fill the gap" in the US missile defense system. According to Defense News, the new satellites will complement current spacecraft designed to track ballistic missile launches, but unlike them, they will be in low Earth orbit.

 The development of satellites for HBTSS is carried out by the American military-industrial companies L3Harris Technologies and Northrop Grumman. In January 2021, they received $ 122 million and $ 155 million from the Pentagon, respectively, to meet their goals. According to Defense News, on December 20, L3Harris Technologies completed the development of the project and has already started directly to create a model of the new satellite. Before that, Northrop Grumman did the same.

 In November, U.S. Space Forces Deputy Commander Lt. Gen. David Thompson told Politico that the Pentagon was working to "determine the type of satellite system" needed to track hypersonic missiles. He noted that the exact date for the creation of such an orbital group has not yet been determined.

The United States, like a number of other countries, is also actively involved in the development of hypersonic weapons. Last week, they tested the AGM-183A hypersonic missile, which was scheduled to be launched by the B-52 strategic bomber. According to representatives of the US Air Force, the test was unsuccessful, the reasons for this are being investigated.