A hypersonic missile travels at Mach 5 or higher, which is five times faster than the speed of sound (3836 mph), or about 1 mile per second. Some missiles, such as Russia's planned Kh-47M2 Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missile, are said to be capable of Mach 10 (7672 mph) speeds with ranges of up to 1200 miles.
The US Tomahawk cruise missile, which is the go-to long-range missile weapon for the US Navy and the Royal Navy, is subsonic, traveling at roughly 550 mph and covering a maximum range of around 1500 miles. It's no wonder that a firm with one of the longest histories in the US defense sector, stretching back more than 40 years, is well regarded for its role in servicing the field artillery demands of both domestic and foreign clients. In this exclusive piece, we look at where the company's artillery concentration is now, from the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) to the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS). Hypersonic cruise missiles and hypersonic glide vehicles are two types of hypersonic missiles.
What is a hypersonic cruise missile?
This missile reaches its target with the assistance of a high-speed jet engine that permits it to fly at speeds exceeding Mach-5. It's non-ballistic, in contrast to standard Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs), which rely on gravity forces to reach their target.
What is a hypersonic glide vehicle?
Re-entry vehicles are used in this sort of hypersonic missile. The missile is launched into space on an arching trajectory, after which the warheads are released and descend at hypersonic speeds towards the atmosphere. Rather than relying on gravitational forces to deliver the payload, as is the case with traditional ICBMs, the warheads are attached to a glide vehicle that re-enters the atmosphere and, thanks to its aerodynamic shape, can ride the shockwaves created by its own lift as it exceeds the speed of sound, giving it enough speed to overcome existing missile defense systems. The glide vehicle glides through the atmosphere between 40 and 100 kilometers above ground level, relying on aerodynamic forces to get to its destination.
The gap between missile defense systems and missile offense will be enormous if hypersonic missiles become operational. Simply said, no existing missile defense system can intercept a hypersonic missile, which is why the race to create hypersonic weapons is so critical. Although hypersonic missiles are still a carefully guarded secret, numerous nations have revealed successful testing and prospective initiatives in recent months.
What impact will hypersonic missiles have?
“Hypersonic missiles offer a number of advantages over subsonic and supersonic weapons, particularly with regard to the prosecution of time-critical targets (for example, mobile ballistic missile launchers), where the additional speed of a hypersonic weapon is valuable,” Bosbotinis said.
“It can also overcome the defences of heavily-defended targets (such as an aircraft carrier).
“The development and deployment of hypersonic weapon systems will provide states with significantly enhanced strike capabilities and potentially, the means to coerce. This will be particularly the case where a major regional power, such as Russia, may seek to coerce a neighbour, leveraging the threat of hypersonic strikes against critical targets. As such, the proliferation of hypersonic capabilities to regional states could also be destabilising, upsetting local balances of power. However, it could also strengthen deterrence.
“In this regard, consider the implications of Iran deploying hypersonic weapons versus an Israeli deployment. Hypersonic weapons may also be problematic in terms of escalation control in the context of a NATO-Russia or US-China confrontation. This concerns dual-capable systems, that is, systems with both conventional and nuclear capabilities, for example, the Kinzhal.”
Dual-capable weapons, according to Bosbotinis, pose the question of discrimination: how does one determine if an oncoming danger is conventional or nuclear? This is exacerbated in the case of hypersonic threats by the little time available to decision-makers to respond to an impending threat. Furthermore, the development of submarine-launched hypersonic missiles would increase the fear – actual or imagined – of attempted decapitation attacks, which would take advantage of a nuclear-powered submarine's innate stealth and the speed of a hypersonic missile.
What is the difference between subsonic, supersonic and hypersonic?
- Subsonic: Subsonic missiles are slower than the speed of sound. Most well-known missiles fall into this category, such as the US Tomahawk cruise missile, the French Exocet, and the Indian Nirbhay. Subsonic missiles travel at a speed around Mach-0.9 (705 mph).Subsonic missiles are slow and easier to intercept, but they still play a huge role in modern battlefields. Not only are they substantially cheaper to produce as the technological challenges have already been overcome and mastered, but subsonic missiles provide an additional layer of strategic value due to its low speed and small size.Once a subsonic missile has been launched, it can loiter in proximity to its intended target, as a result of its fuel efficiency. This, combined with its comparatively low speed, gives senior military decision-makers ample time to decide if a strike should be continued or abandoned. Comparatively, a hypersonic or supersonic missile compresses the time afforded to senior decisions makers into a matter of minutes.
- Supersonic: A supersonic missile exceeds the speed of sound (Mach 1) but is not faster than Mach-3. Most supersonic missiles travel at a speed between Mach-2 and Mach-3, which is up to 2,300 mph. The most well-known supersonic missile is the Indian/Russian BrahMos, is currently the fastest operational supersonic missile capable of speeds around 2,100–2,300 mph.
- Hypersonic: A hypersonic missile exceeds Mach-5 (3,800 mph) and is five times faster than the speed of sound. Currently, there is no operational defence system that can deny the use of these strategic weapons. As a result, many world powers including the US, Russia, India, and China are working on hypersonic missiles. However, there are many technological hurdles to overcome, particularly with regards to sustaining combustion inside the missile system, while enduring the extreme temperatures of hypersonic speed.
What countries are developing hypersonic missiles?
There have been allegations that the US has slipped behind Russia and China in the race for hypersonic missiles, even from senior US military officials. To some extent, this is correct.
Can hypersonic missiles be stopped?
Because there is presently no practical or reliable technique of intercepting hypersonic missiles, they are extremely useful. Countermeasures, on the other hand, will arise as defense technology advances.
Directed energy weapons, particle beams, and other non-kinetic weapons will certainly be viable options for countering hypersonic missiles.
“Hypersonic weapons reduce the time required to prosecute a target (especially compared to current subsonic cruise missiles), the warning time available to an adversary, and the time available for defensive systems to engage the incoming threat,” says Bosbotinis. Although hypersonic threats would represent a considerable challenge to current surface-to-air and air-to-air missile systems, such systems would require a comprehensive intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) network, particularly in the conventional precision strike role.