James W. Weber Principal Director for Hypersonics Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering

Dr. James W. Weber is the Principal Director for Hypersonics in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Critical Technologies, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD(R&E).  In this position, he serves as the Department of Defense’s senior official and subject matter expert for Hypersonics.  Dr. Weber leads DOD’s vision, strategy, and roadmap for hypersonic weapons and platforms, and the defense against hypersonic threats.  Additionally, he oversees the strategic alignment and coordination of the Department’s more than $4 billion annual portfolio in hypersonics including science and technology, prototyping, test and evaluation, and industrial base development.

Dr. Weber has more than 30 years of experience in the research and development of hypersonic systems.  He has held multiple previous assignments in the United States Air Force including engineering and program management positions with the DOD/NASA National Aero-Space Plane (NASP), AFRL Hypersonic Technology (HyTech), DARPA/AFRL Affordable Rapid Response Missile Demonstrator (ARRMD), and AFRL High Speed Strike Weapon (HSSW) programs.  In 2019, Dr. Weber was detailed to OUSD(R&E) as a Special Assistant for Hypersonics, where he led the development and execution of the first DOD Hypersonics Science & Technology Strategy.

Prior to assuming his current position, Dr. Weber served as the Air Force Senior Scientist for Hypersonics, where he was responsible for the department’s hypersonics science and technology enterprise and advised Air Force senior leadership on hypersonic systems development.

Dr. Weber received his B.S. degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Maryland at College Park.  He is an Excellence in Government Fellow, an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and a three-time recipient of the Air Force Meritorious Civilian Service Award.