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Biden orders to ramp up production of hypersonic missile components

According to the document, published by the White House press office, the head of state engaged the Korean War-era 1950 Defense Production Act

WASHINGTON, March 1. /TASS/. US President Joe Biden engaged emergency powers to increase the volume of hypersonic missile components being produced by the US military-industrial complex - including jet engines-says the memorandum Biden sent to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin Wednesday.

According to the document, published by the White House press office, the head of state engaged the Korean War-era 1950 Defense Production Act. Based on the act, Biden stated that the US military-industrial complex is unable to independently provide "additional investment required to provide airbreathing engines and constituent materials for hypersonic systems adequately and in a timely manner."

In this regard, the US President decided that "purchases, purchase commitments, or other action pursuant to section 303 of the Act are the most cost-effective, expedient, and practical alternative method for meeting the need for this critical industrial production capability."

The presidential decree is aimed at "expanding the domestic production capability for airbreathing engines, advanced avionics position navigation and guidance systems, and constituent materials for hypersonic systems," the memorandum explains.

This is not the only time a US President engaged the abovementioned powers in the recent years. For example, previous president Donald Trump used them to force major US companies to ramp up production of ventilators due to emergency, caused by the Covid pandemic. Later, he also used these powers to ramp up production of composite materials for hypersonic missiles.