However, as Trimble astutely pointed out, this only raises questions about what the program's more ambitious "objective" requirements might include. "First the U.S. must expand and accelerate its own hypersonic weapons program.". Russia has declared its Avangard missiles as being covered by the treaty, but has said, at least at present, that other novel nuclear weapons, such as a nuclear-powered cruise missile and a long-range nuclear-powered torpedo, are not within that agreement's purview. No details of the Navy’s underwater drone program could be learned. "So as we bring the system [GBSD] online, we will ensure that we have the ability to roll different technologies in and incorporate that into GBSD.". This entry was posted in National Security and tagged Drones, Navy, Nuclear Weapons, Russia. Regardless, Russia has made it clear that it will not be able to tell if an incoming weapon has a lower-yield warhead on top and will treat them the same as any other nuclear strike, triggering a massive retaliatory response. "Of great concern would be if [China] was to apply the same technology and capability with a conventional warhead or even just without a warhead because of the kinetic energy that it has in combination with their theater ballistic missiles … in a theater role," Fuell said. However, recent threats and belligerent statements by Russian leaders about using nuclear weapons are compounding concerns about Moscow’s arms buildup. Russian leaders announced a new maritime strategy in July that provided hints about the new drone sub. Launch tests are next. The developmental unmanned underwater vehicle, or UUV, when deployed, will be equipped with megaton-class warheads capable of blowing up key ports used by U.S. nuclear missile submarines, such as Kings Bay, Ga., and Puget Sound in Washington state. "The National Air and Space Intelligence Center has said in open testimony before the China Commission that the vehicle is nuclear and there may also be a conventional version," Schneider said. The disclosure that the United States may at all be interested in the development of a nuclear hyperosnic weapon with ICBM range also comes amid tense negotiations between U.S. and Russian government officials over extending the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, or New START. Inspectors Have Examined Russia's Imminently Operational Hypersonic Missile. Navy seeking UUVs. Navy Secretary Ray Maybus said in a speech in April that unmanned systems are a high priority for future Navy weapons. Officials familiar with details of the Kanyon program said the weapon is envisioned as an autonomous submarine strike vehicle armed with a nuclear warhead ranging in size to "tens" of megatons in yield. Interest in hypersonic weapons, in general, both within the U.S. military and elsewhere around the world, is heavily driven by a desire to ensure strikes can successfully make it past increasingly advanced integrated air and ballistic missile defense networks. Fisher also said the United States should increase capabilities for targeting China's space and high altitude reconnaissance and surveillance systems, to include satellites. "Hypersonic glide vehicles could render existing U.S. missile defense systems less effective and potentially obsolete," the report said. In response to a follow-up question from Steve Trimble, Aviation Week's Defense Editor and good friend of The War Zone, Clark explicitly said that a nuclear-armed hypersonic boost-glide vehicle was not in the minimum "threshold" requirements for the GBSD program. Funding for hypersonic weapons development also has been limited to around $360 million dollars, an amount critics say is small compared to estimated investments by China. Last month in Beijing, the United States and China agreed to a new military accord that called for notifying each country of major military activities. This vehicle could potentially go on top of the service's future Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent ICBMs, which are now in development. "These efforts have included the world's most advanced torpedoes," Polmar said. Check Out This B-52 Stratofortress Carrying Two AGM-183 Hypersonic Test Missiles. U.S. The Pentagon, however, has code-named the drone "Kanyon," an indication that the weapon is a structured Russian arms program. Lee Fuell, technical director for force modernization and employment at the National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC), told the Commission that Chinese glide vehicle is launched on a ballistic missile, dives to hypersonic speed and glides to its target. The Pentagon said last week that it is closely watching a Russian military research ship that sailed along the east coast of the United States. The building is taking place as the Obama administration has sought to reduce the role of nuclear arms in U.S. defenses and to rely on a smaller nuclear force for deterrence. The weapon currently is assessed to be "associated with [China’s] nuclear deterrent forces.". Another official familiar with the program said that the Kanyon will be a large nuclear-powered autonomous submarine.