Weapons and mesiles

Hypersonic Missiles: The Weapons Too Fast to Stop

5 times the speed of sound. That’s Mach 5, or 6,174 km/h. Hypersonic missiles fly so fast current defense systems can’t react. Russia, China, and the US all have them now.

3 types you should know:

• Hypersonic Glide Vehicles (HGV): Launched by rocket, then glides to target. Can maneuver. Ex: Russia’s Avangard.
• Hypersonic Cruise Missiles: Powered the whole flight by scramjet engine. Ex: US X-51 Waverider.
• Ballistic + Maneuver: Falls like a normal missile but swerves at the end. Ex: China’s DF-17.

Why they’re a big deal:

1. Speed: Lagos to London in 30 minutes. Traditional missiles take hours. No time for diplomacy.

2. Unpredictable: They don’t follow a fixed arc like ICBMs. They dodge mid-flight. Radar can’t predict where they’ll hit.

3. Low altitude: Fly inside the atmosphere. Early warning satellites look for missiles in space - they miss these.

Who has them:

• Russia: Kinzhal, Avangard, Zircon. Used Kinzhal in Ukraine 2022.
• China: DF-17, tested an orbital HGV in 2021 that circled the globe.
• USA: AGM-183A ARRW, Dark Eagle. Still testing. Behind Russia/China.
• North Korea/Iran: Claimed tests, not confirmed operational.