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GAO: US Navy hypersonic destroyer/upgrade delays push at-sea testing to 2027 as Army–Navy weapon effort lacks coordination

Government Accountability Office reporting says the US Navy is about two years behind on destroyer modernization tied to hypersonic missiles, delaying crucial at-sea flight testing until 2027. Separate GAO findings cite major delays across modernization, testing and missile production, while also flagging an Army–Navy hypersonic procurement effort without an overarching coordination strategy.

Discovered 2026-07-20T02:23:17.388987-07:00 | 2026-07-20T02:23:17.388987-07:00

Briefing

What Hype is tracking

The cluster centers on GAO findings that the Navy is ~two years behind hypersonic-missile destroyer modernization, delaying at-sea testing to 2027—directly affecting delivery schedules, integration timelines and program risk.
GAO cites delays spanning modernization, missile testing and missile production, and a separate Army official points to “quality defects” slowing Lockheed hypersonic missile deliveries.
A related GAO report says the Defense Department lacks a comprehensive plan to coordinate Army and Navy purchase efforts for hypersonic weapons, raising execution and cost-control concerns across the force-wide portfolio.

Reported By

Stars and Stripes National Defense interestingengineering.com navaltoday.com Bloomberg