According to local media, the US Army once again failed to reach the self-set timeline to equip the first supersonic weapon, even though the unit assigned to operate this weapon system has completed training and is ready for mission.
In an official statement, the US Army explained that the process of putting weapons into service still needs more time to complete integration steps, ensure safety and check readiness, in order to ensure soldiers receive a "reliable, sustainable and effective" system in the combat environment. According to the updated plan, the earliest deployment milestone is currently moved to early 2026.
Notably, just in December 2025, the US Army even affirmed that the system would be deployed before the end of 2025, the US military this week admitted that it could not achieve that goal.
This is not the first time the US Army has delayed. Previously, the military missed the deadline of September 30, 2023, and then continued to fail to reach the deployment milestone in September 2025. The continuous delay reflects major technical challenges in ensuring the system operates according to design and meets practical combat requirements, instead of originating from the unrepaired basic errors of the missile developed by Lockheed Martin.
This delay also puts significant pressure on War Minister Pete Hegseth - who is promoting the goal of accelerating the pace of arms deployment and comprehensively reforming the defense procurement process, which is criticized as cumbersome and too cautious about risks.
Since 2018, the Pentagon has spent more than 12 billion USD to develop, test and deploy supersonic weapons.
According to the US Government Accountability Office (GAO), the first combat unit alone cost about 2.7 billion USD, including missiles. However, the combat effectiveness of the system has not been fully assessed.
The Pentagon's testing laboratory admitted that it has not yet conducted a comprehensive combat assessment, nor has it sufficient data to determine the effectiveness, lethality and survivability of the weapon.
While the US is struggling with technical milestones and deployment procedures, China and Russia have soon put supersonic weapons into service. Russia has even used this weapon called Oreshnik in attacks in Ukraine. With a flight speed exceeding Mach 5, low trajectory and high maneuverability, supersonic missiles are considered a major challenge for traditional air defense systems.
