CONGRESSMAN MO BROOKS AND CONGRESSMAN JIM BANKS LAUNCH HOUSE HYPERSONICS CAUCUS
Statement
Congressman Mo Brooks (AL-05), along with co-lead Congressman Jim Banks (IN-03), have launched the House Hypersonics Caucus to promote the utilization of hypersonic weapons as part of America's national security strategy.
Congressman Brooks said, "Russia and China have spent the past two decades building up their military forces. They have thickened their air defenses, invested in anti-ship missiles, anti-satellite capabilities, and invested heavily in systems designed to keep our forces at bay. And yes, they have invested in offensive hypersonic weapon systems. America must now rapidly move forward with the design and fielding of hypersonic weapon systems. Hypersonic weapons are our best opportunity to evade complex air defense systems and take down enemy systems that can hold hostage our ability to collect and distribute information, project force, and maneuver in theatre. To be successful in any conflict against a peer adversary, we must be able to field hypersonic weapons."
Brooks concluded, "The purpose of the Hypersonics Caucus will be to provide a platform for Members of Congress and their staff to gain insight into existing Department of Defense hypersonics efforts and support the modernization of the laboratories and facilities associated with the research and testing of hypersonics programs. I'm glad to have Congressman Jim Banks as a caucus co-lead and a dedicated group of members who support hypersonics with me as we work to promote hypersonics weapons in Congress."
Congressman Jim Banks said, "I'm proud to have formed the first ever Hypersonics Caucus with Congressman Brooks and I'm proud of northeast Indiana's contributions to Hypersonics research and development. America is safer as a result."
"Hypersonics are critical to our national defense, and we cannot afford to fall behind. The Caucus creates a dialogue for members, staff, industry, and the Department of Defense to prepare for great power competition and calls for rapidly modernizing our hypersonic capabilities."
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