Hypersonic weapon

A hypersonic weapon is a weapon capable of travelling at hypersonic speed, defined as between 5 and 25 times the speed of sound or about 1 to 5 miles per second (1.6 to 8.0 km/s).[1]

"Hypersonic missile" redirects here. For other uses, see Hypersonic Missiles (disambiguation).
An Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon (Arrow) carried by a B-52 bomber
Hypersonic missile
Scramjet-powered hypersonic cruise missile

Below such speeds, weapons would be characterized as subsonic or supersonic, while above such speeds, the molecules of the atmosphere disassociate into a plasma which makes control and communication difficult. Directed-energy weapons such as lasers may operate at higher speeds but are considered a different class of weaponry.

There are multiple types of hypersonic weapon:

  1. hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV): missile warheads which maneuver and glide through the atmosphere at high speeds after an initial ballistic launch phase[2][1]
  2. hypersonic cruise missile: cruise missiles which use air-breathing engines such as scramjets to reach high speeds[2][1]
  3. hypersonic aircraft using air-breathing engines such as scramjets to reach high speeds[1]
  4. guns which fire cannon-launched guided projectiles. These may be developments of traditional artillery or novel technologies such as railguns.[1]
  5. ballistic missiles traveling at high speeds during its atmospheric reentry

History

The Silbervogel was the first design for a hypersonic weapon, made by German scientists in the 1930s.[3]

In the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russia was seen to have fielded operational weapons and used them for combat. The Kremlin presents new hypersonic weapons as capable of overcoming "any" foreign missile-defense systems, with the "pre-nuclear deterrence" concept contained in its 2014 iteration of the official Russian Military Doctrine.[4]

By country

See also Hypersonic flight#Hypersonic weapons, National Defense Space Architecture

Plans, programs and projects for such weaponry include:

Multinational

China

Brazil

Iran

On February 25, 2023 the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Commander Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh claimed that home-made hypersonic ballistic missiles can fly at Mach 12-13 and enjoy advanced technologies to penetrate all types of air defense shields.[5] No further detail was revealed on Iran's first hypersonic missile.

India

Russia

France
  • V-MAX (Véhicule Manœuvrant Expérimental) HGV
  • ASN4G (Air-Sol Nucléaire de 4e Génération) nuclear-tipped air-launched cruise missile

Germany

Japan

South Korea
  • Hycore cruise missile
  • Hyunmoo IV-4
  • Hyunmoo V

United States

Hypersonic missile defense
See also: Missile defense

See also

References
  1. John T. Watts; Christian Trotti; Mark J. Massa (August 2020), Primer on Hypersonic Weapons in the Indo-Pacific Region (PDF), Atlantic Council, ISBN 978-1-61977-111-6
  2. "'National pride is at stake.' Russia, China, United States race to build hypersonic weapons". www.science.org. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  3. David Wright; Cameron Tracy (1 August 2021), "Overhyped: The Physics and Hype of Hypersonic Weapons", Scientific American, 325 (2): 64–71
  4. McDermott, Roger (4 February 2022). "The Role of Hypersonic Weapons in Russian Military Strategy". The Jamestown Foundation.
  5. "IRGC Aerospace Commander: Iran's Hypersonic Ballistic Missile Moves at Mach 12-13 | Farsnews Agency". www.farsnews.ir. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  6. https://sgp.fas.org/crs/weapons/R45811.pdf
  7. https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/23688406/r45811.pdf
  8. "Institute of Structures and Design".
  9. https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/23688406/r45811.pdf
  10. "HALO programme accelerates US Navy hypersonic capability drive". 5 September 2022.
  11. https://www.dote.osd.mil/Portals/97/pub/reports/FY2018/navy/2018oasuw.pdf?ver=2019-08-21-155650-680

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from Kelley M. Sayler. Hypersonic Weapons: Background and Issues for Congress (PDF). Congressional Research Service.

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