WASHINGTON, JANUARY 24, 2025 — The Atlantic Council’s Forward Defense program has convened former government officials and industry leaders on a Hypersonic Capabilities Task Force to address the opportunities that hypersonic capabilities offer to the United States to enhance deterrence and the challenges posed by adversary hypersonic capabilities.
Co-chaired by former Secretary of the US Air Force Deborah Lee James and former Secretary of the US Army Ryan McCarthy, this task force aims to explore the strategic implications, operational applications, and policy priorities surrounding hypersonic weapons and counter-hypersonic defenses.
“In our time in the Pentagon, we both witnessed commendable efforts to develop hypersonic weapons and counter-hypersonic defenses,” said James. “But more needs to be done. This task force will call attention to the national priority that ought to be placed on hypersonic capabilities, even among other crucial defense needs,” said McCarthy.
Adversaries like Russia and China have developed advanced hypersonic systems capable of both nuclear and conventional strikes, threatening US forces, allies, and the homeland. Despite growing US investments in hypersonic weapons and defenses, questions persist about prioritization, resource allocation, and the readiness to address these challenges.
The task force will leverage insights from a world-class group of subject-matter experts, composed of former senior government officials and leading industry representatives. Task Force members include former Congressman Jim Cooper; the Hon. Madelyn Creedon; former Congressman Doug Lamborn; GEN James McConville, USA (ret); and Whitney McNamara. Industry Task Force members include Hank Holland, chairman and CEO of Amaero International Ltd; Katrina Hornstein, Hypersonic Portfolio director at Ursa Major; Cameron McCord, co-founder and CEO of Nominal; Chris Power, founder and CEO of Hadrian; Mark Rettig, vice president and general manager of New and Derivative Products at GE Aerospace; Ralph Sandfry, director for Hypersonics and Directed Energy at Lockheed Martin; Zach Shore, chief revenue officer at Hermeus; and Brian Zimmerman, senior vice president at Booz Allen Hamilton.
The task force will be directed by Stephen Rodriguez, with former DoD Principal Director for Hypersonics Michael E. White serving as the task force’s lead author. “This Task Force comes at a crucial moment for US national security,” stated White. “Unless the United States accelerates its production and fielding of hypersonic capabilities, we risk falling behind rapid developments in Russia and China.” Former senior Pentagon leaders Dr. Reginald Brothers and Justin Johnson will serve as senior advisors to the task force.
This effort will evaluate these threats, benchmark US efforts, and explore solutions to bridge gaps in technology, policy, and procurement. By fostering an informed dialogue, the project aims to unify key stakeholders and advance a cohesive strategy to maintain US leadership in this critical domain.
The Atlantic Council task force staff include Mark Massa, Alyxandra Marine, and Jonathan Rosenstein, overseen by Forward Defense director Clementine Starling-Daniels.
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