By Alimat Aliyeva

The United States has shut down its hypersonic missile development program, officially halting work in this advanced weapons sector, Azernews reports.

Key reasons for the termination included significant budgetary constraints, underwhelming performance results, and limited progress overall. The growing arms race with China—where Beijing has been accelerating its hypersonic capabilities—also played a role in reassessing priorities.

Interestingly, the program was reportedly discontinued as early as the fall of 2024, when it was deemed unfeasible due to a combination of financial issues and technological hurdles.

According to sources, this decision may reflect deeper challenges within the U.S. defense establishment, particularly in balancing innovation with practicality in the face of rapidly evolving global threats.

Hypersonic missiles, capable of flying at speeds over Mach 5 and maneuvering mid-flight, are considered a game-changing technology in modern warfare. While the U.S. has stepped back from one program, it still maintains research initiatives under DARPA and other defense branches, suggesting that the hypersonic race is far from over—just changing direction.