THE


HYPERSONIC AND THE


CAVE


The organic industrial base needs major upgrades if weapons facilities are to keep pace with modernization.


by Col. Stephen P. Dondero and Lt. Col. Dennis K. Williams II I


n a recent meeting among numerous Army depot commanders, one asked the rhetor- ical question, “Would any of the services be comfortable storing a sensitive hypersonic missile system or any of its complex subcomponents in a wet cave?” Te answer is obvious.


Weapons modernization is accelerating at a blistering—some might say hypersonic—


pace to stay ahead of our potential adversaries. Tere is general agreement in defense circles that this drive is critical to success if our joint forces are to win in near-peer, large-scale combat operations.


Among these modernization advances are the hypersonic programs, directed energy weapons, long-range precision fires and upgrades to existing missile systems.


U.S. Army Futures Command has transformed the testing and acquisition process to field the next generation of weapons, but they are being developed faster than the sustainment plan- ning for these systems. Te Army must prepare the depots and arsenals within its organic industrial base to maintain, store and distribute these new and complex weapon systems in modernized facilities that are fit for the purpose. Tough a great deal of effort has been made to maintain our strategic storage facilities over the decades, their average age is 70 years old. Many are more than 80 years old, having been designed and built in response to World War II. Te need for major upgrades or even replacement is endemic.


We cannot modernize all of our facilities in five years—or even 20—because of numerous limiting factors such as funding, planning cycles, design timelines and competing defense priorities. We have to focus our efforts and start with what we call our strategic out-load loca- tions, which are regional locations that can ship munitions globally at a moment’s notice.


28 Army AL&T Magazine Fall 2020


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