Pentagon 'fully prepared' after Putin boasts of hypersonic missiles
The Pentagon on 1 March brushed off Russian President Vladimir Putin's boast of developing ‘invincible’ missiles, claiming the US was fully prepared for anything that might come its way.
In his state of the nation address, Putin described several advances in missile technology, including a hypersonic weapon that can fly at many times the speed of sound and evade existing missile defence systems.
Dana White, Pentagon spokeswoman, said: ‘We are not surprised by (Putin's) statement, and the American people should rest assured that we are fully prepared.’
White said she was ‘very confident’ in America's ability to react to ‘anything that may come our way.’
She added: ‘We are prepared and we are ready.’
Hypersonic weapons under development by Russia and China – as well as by the US – can beat regular anti-missile defences because they are designed to switch direction in flight and do not follow a predictable arc like conventional missiles, making them much harder to track and intercept.
But despite the Pentagon's claims, America is far from capable of stopping any type of missile attack, a fact it has lived with since the Cold War.
While it has had some limited success in developing interceptors capable of stopping one or two missiles from a rogue regime like North Korea, a barrage of nukes from Russia or anywhere else would be unstoppable and trigger the ‘mutually assured destruction’ of both nations.
Still, US officials increasingly are turning attention to trying to develop some sort of defence against hypersonic missiles.
In its proposed $9.9 billion requested budget for 2019, the Missile Defense Agency is asking for $120 million to develop hypersonic missile defences, a big increase from the $75 million in fiscal 2018.
More from Land Warfare
-
![AUSA 2025: AM General Hawkeye awaits first production contract]()
AUSA 2025: AM General Hawkeye awaits first production contract
AM General presented its new Hawkeye at AUSA 2025 in Washington, with prototypes of the howitzer system having been trialled in Ukraine last year.
-
![AUSA 2025: Lionstrike lays out plans for British Army vehicle bid as competitors get ready]()
AUSA 2025: Lionstrike lays out plans for British Army vehicle bid as competitors get ready
In September 2025, BAE Systems announced that it was joining GM Defense and NP Aerospace to form Team Lionstrike. The team will be offering a version of GM Defense’s infantry support vehicle which is based on the commercial Colorado vehicle.
-
![AUSA 2025: KNDS France to bid for US Army requirement]()
AUSA 2025: KNDS France to bid for US Army requirement
The CAESAR Mk II, which was debuted internationally at Eurosatory last year, is a step up from the first model which has seen combat in Ukraine and the Middle East.
-
![AUSA 2025: IAI reveals robotic route clearance system]()
AUSA 2025: IAI reveals robotic route clearance system
The Elta 6631 has been developed using the experience of the Israel Defense Forces in route proving, and can be customised for various customers and circumstances.
-
![AUSA 2025: Boeing wins $2.7 billion PAC-3 production contract as it explores supply chain expansion]()
AUSA 2025: Boeing wins $2.7 billion PAC-3 production contract as it explores supply chain expansion
Boeing will work with prime contractor Lockheed Martin to boost PAC-3 production capacity to hit higher delivery targets, as demand for the interceptors continues to surge.
-
![AUSA 2025: AM General “on target” for JLTV full-rate production in 2026 as it uncrews a Humvee]()
AUSA 2025: AM General “on target” for JLTV full-rate production in 2026 as it uncrews a Humvee
AM General believes it has completed working with customers for the Joint Light Tactical Vehicles to reach a final version of the vehicle and to prepare to begin producing vehicles under full rate production.
