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https://www.politico.com/news/2022/03/21/dod-official-russia-hypersonic-missile-00018872
Hypersonic weapons are a new threat and deterrent in the World, and their construction and usage is novel. By definition, a hypersonic weapon moves at five-times the speed of sound and can be maneuvered towards a target. Hypersonic weaponry has been in development for years, and countries including China, Russia and the USA are investing billions into their underlying technology.
Hypersonic weapons move beyond the speed of sound, and can evade contemporary missile defense systems. Russia’s Avangard missile moves at mach-27, and other hypersonic missiles can easily evade defense systems. Russia and China have both invested significantly into this technology, and more are to follow. The USA has budgeted $10.5 billion towards the development of hypersonic weapons until 2024, and more countries worldwide are investing into this new technology. China is leading the way in this fearsome technology with the DF-17 weapon that is a tactical boost glide system. Hypersonic weapons have long been with us, and cruise missiles can move faster than hypersonic missiles in use and development now.
There are two designs for hypersonic weapons. A tactical boost glide system accelerates a warhead using a delivery vehicle and then releases it. A scramjet system uses a delivery vehicle with a highly efficient and powerful engine that intakes air as it moves, making it incredibly efficient. Both delivery methods have been tested, and can accelerate a warhead at multiple times the speed of sound towards a target. The agility of both systems enable the warhead to move quickly before striking the target, making these hypersonic systems hard to detect and prevent. A good explanation of the inner workings of hypersonic weapons can be found at the link: https://interestingengineering.com/hypersonic-missile-aerospace-engineer. The implication of the use and presence of hypersonic weapons on the battlefield is that they can be unaffected by defense systems and enable aggressors to pursue a first-strike nuclear strategy. Mutually –assured destruction has been a deterrent of the use of nuclear weapons since the Cold War, and unblockable nuclear weapons may add an additional level of dread to nations around the World. Pandora’s box has been opened, and we need to ensure we keep funding our defense strategies and systems.
The specter of hypersonic weapons looms over those who are unprepared. We must invest in systems to counter these nightmarish threats before we face them in the field of battle. Missile defense is a technology and field of work with a huge future.
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