The U.S. Air Force is developing hypersonic weapons that can maneuver to evade interception while flying five-times faster than the speed of sound.

Dr. Mark J. Lewis is the former Director of Defense, Research and Engineering overseeing the modernization of the portfolio in the Office of The Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. During an interview with Airman magazine, Lewis defined hypersonic technology, current research and development programs and why deploying hypersonic weapons is key to increasing force lethality and overall deterrence.