America’s ambiguous position on a nuclear first strike could be headed for another review, depending on the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. 

The practice of mining estuaries, harbors and other rmaritime chokepoints by aircraft began in World War II, but the low-altitude and slow-speed nature of the delivery mission has made it increasingly risky in modern warfare. 

The acknowledgment is the clearest indication that Mayhem will serve as a testbed for dual-mode or turbine-based combined cycle (TBCC) hypersonic propulsion systems. 

After about a four-month delay because of issues related to the spread of the novel coronavirus, the U.S. Army has completed a successful live-fire test of the Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.

The new Mayhem program seeks to create a “larger-scale, expendable, air-breathing, hypersonic, multimission flight demonstrator,” according to an Air Force Research Laboratory request for information published on Aug. 13. 

Defense Secretary Mark Esper has charged Ellen Lord, undersecretary for acquisition and sustainment, with leading a review of certification standards and industrial base gaps.

The U.S. Air Force and Canada have committed to improving the ground-based arctic surveillance system on watch for Russian missiles and bombers.

Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Raytheon will compete for the U.S. Air Force's future hypersonic cruise missile program.