DOD to hold hypersonics industry day

The Pentagon's top weapons developer is hosting a two-day event with industry to brief interested parties on U.S. military efforts to develop offensive and defensive hypersonic weapons and to hear from defense contractors on their ideas for a new class of ultrafast weapons that are poised to change the nature of modern combat.

On March 28 and March 29, Mike White, the Pentagon's assistant director for hypersonics in the office of the under secretary of defense for research and engineering, will oversee the gathering.

"On the first day, industry will hear from DOD on enablers, programs, and service and OUSD R&E portfolios," states a March 14 notice in Federal Business Opportunities. "The Government welcomes feedback during the day from industry participants. On the second day, industry will have an opportunity to meet one-on-one with team members and the [assistant director for hypersonics] on several key topics and share their most innovative ideas."

White, who assumed his current post after nearly four decades at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory where he focused on hypersonic technologies and missile defense, spoke to reporters earlier this week about the Pentagon's new strategy for hypersonic weapons development, including a new roadmap that accelerates development through 2024 backed by plans to spend $10.5 billion.