Hypersonic weapon explained

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 .

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.

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^[1]
2. Hypersonic cruise missile: cruise missiles which use air-breathing engines such as scramjets to reach high speeds
3. Hypersonic aircraft using air-breathing engines such as scramjets to reach high speeds
4. Guns which fire cannon-launched guided projectiles. These may be developments of traditional artillery or novel technologies such as railguns.

Other types of weapons, such as traditional ballistic missiles, may achieve hypersonic speeds but are not typically classified as hypersonic weapons due to lacking the use of aerodynamic lift to allow their reentry vehicles to maneuver under guided flight within the atmosphere.^{[2] [3]}

History

The Silbervogel was the first design for a hypersonic weapon and was developed by German scientists in the 1930s.

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 supposedly 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] A volley of Russian hypersonic missiles were launched at Kyiv in January 2023.^[5]

By country

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

Plans, programs and projects for such weaponry include:

• SCIFiRE, between the US and Australia. Expected to enter service 2026-2031.

• 14-X

• DF-ZF mounted on the DF-17
• YJ-21. According to a South China Morning Post report, in December 2023, Chinese hypersonic anti-ship missiles went undetected in a computer-simulated attack against the US warships in a Chinese research lab.^{[6] [7]} The missile range was reported to be similar to that of YJ-21.
• KF-21
• KD-21 / 2PZD-21^[8]
• DF-27
• Lingyun-1^{[9] [10]}
• MF-1^[11]
• Starry Sky 2^[12]

• VERAS hypersonic glide vehicle (first French program on hypersonics; launched in 1965 and cancelled in 1971)^{[13] [14]}
• ASN4G hypersonic air-launched cruise missile (under development; technological work on the missile began in the early 1990s and scheduled to succeed the ASMP in the pre-strategic deterrence role in 2035)^{[15] [16]}
• LEA hypersonic cruise demonstrator (project launched in 2003 to validate technologies for the ASN4G program)^[17]
• Prométhée scramjet missile program (little is known about the program beyond the fact that a test, codenamed ASTRÉE, of a mixed ramjet capable of successive subsonic and supersonic combustion was carried out in the United States in either 2021 or 2022)^{[15] [16]}
• VMaX (Véhicule Manœuvrant Expérimental) hypersonic glide vehicle (first flight test took place on June 26, 2023, from the DGA's site in Biscarrosse and was successful)^{[18] [19] [20] [21] [22]}
• VMaX-2 hypersonic glide vehicle (first flight test scheduled for 2024 or 2025)^{[23] [15] [16]}
• Espadon hypersonic combat aircraft program^{[24] [25]}

• SHEFEX II HGV (DLR research)^{[26] [27] [28]}

• BrahMos-II
• HGV-202F
• Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle

• Fattah-1 – hypersonic ballistic missile unveiled in June 2023^[29]
• Fattah-2 – hypersonic cruise missile unveiled in November 2023^[30]

• Hyper Velocity Gliding Projectile
• Hypersonic Cruise Missile (HCM)^[27]

• Hwasong-8

• 3M22 Zircon
• Avangard (hypersonic glide vehicle)
• Kh-47M2 Kinzhal
• Kh-95 long-range hypersonic cruise missile^[31]
• Vympel R-37M
• Zmeevik anti-ship missile
• Gremlin Hypersonic Guided Rocket (air-launched)^[32]

• Hycore cruise missile (scramjet two-stage missile)^[33]

• HVX (Hypersonic Air Vehicle Experimental) demonstrator program announced in July 2022^[34]
• Concept V, a single-engine hypersonic aircraft concept unveiled under the HVX program^[35]
• Hypersonic cruise missile by 2030^[36]

• Boeing X-51 Waverider^[37]
• DARPA Falcon Project (Hypersonic Weapon System (HWS)
• DARPA Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept (HAWC)^[38]
• Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (Air Force) ^{[39] [40] [41]}
• Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (Army) and Conventional Prompt Strike (Navy) boost-glide system, both will use the same Common-Hypersonic Glide Body HGV ^[42]
• OpFires (DARPA) ^{[43] [44]}
• Hypersonic Air Launched Offensive Anti-Surface (HALO) air-launched anti-ship missile under Offensive Anti-Surface Warfare Increment 2 (OASuW Inc 2) program (Navy)^{[45] [46]}
• AIM-260 JATM (expected)
• Lockheed Martin Mako^{[47] [48]}

See also

• • Hypersonic cruise missile Hypersonic flight
• Hypersonic glide vehicle
• Scramjet programs

Further reading

• Book: Kunertova . Dominika . Hypersonic Weapons: Emerging, Disruptive, Political . 43–67 . 10.3929/ethz-b-000552689 . free . Carlson . Brian G. . Thränert . Oliver . Strategic Trends 2022: Key Developments in Global Affairs . 2022 . Center for Security Studies . 978-3-905696-85-1 .

Notes and References

1. 'National pride is at stake.' Russia, China, United States race to build hypersonic weapons . 8 January 2020 . 10.1126/science.aba7957 . Richard . Stone . Science .
2. Web site: Fact Sheet: Hypersonic Weapons. Center for Arms Control and Non-proliferation. 15 November 2023 .
3. Web site: Ukraine and the Kinzhal: Don't believe the hypersonic hype. Alexander. Montgomery. Brookings Institute. The term “hypersonic” is now typically used just to refer to two types of weapons that are being developed through contemporary defense programs: hypersonic glide vehicles (HGVs) and hypersonic cruise missiles (HCMs)..
4. News: McDermott . Roger . The Role of Hypersonic Weapons in Russian Military Strategy . The Jamestown Foundation . 4 February 2022.
5. News: 2023-05-16 . Ukraine war: Kyiv says it shot down Russian hypersonic missiles . en-GB . 2024-01-02.
6. Web site: Paleja . Ameya . 2024-01-19 . China's secretive lab simulates hypersonic missile attack on US warship . 2024-02-11 . interestingengineering.com . en-US.
7. Web site: 2024-01-19 . China lab simulates attack on US warships using space weapons, hypersonic missiles . 2024-02-11 . South China Morning Post . en.
8. Web site: Kadidal . Akhil . 2024-05-03 . Chinese bomber launches new ballistic missile . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20240604061535/https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/chinese-bomber-launches-new-ballistic-missile . 2024-06-04 . Janes.
9. Web site: Bosbotinis . James . 2020-06-15 . International Hypersonic Strike Weapons Projects Accelerate . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240604061536/https://aviationweek.com/defense-space/missile-defense-weapons/international-hypersonic-strike-weapons-projects-accelerate . 2024-06-04 . Aviation Week Network.
10. Web site: Long . Drake . 21 May 2018 . China reveals Lingyun-1 hypersonic missile . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240604061535/https://www.thedefensepost.com/2018/05/21/china-lingyun-1-hypersonic-missile-revealed/ . 2024-06-04 . The Defense Post.
11. Xiao . Han-shan . Ou . Chao . Ji . Hong-liang . He . Zheng-chun . Liu . Ning-yuan . Yuan . Xian-xu . Low-Cost and Aerodynamics-Aim Hypersonic Flight Experiment MF-1 . MATEC Web of Conferences . 2020 . 316 . 04006 . . 10.1051/matecconf/202031604006 .
12. Web site: Xingkong-2 / Starry Sky 2 - China Nuclear Forces . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240604061539/https://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/china/xingkong-2.htm . 2024-06-04 . Global Security.
13. Web site: Lagneau . Laurent . 7 August 2022 . Quand la France avait de l'avance dans la mise au point d'un planeur hypersonique avec le projet VERAS . opex360.com . fr.
14. Web site: 3 March 2023 . Le premier vol du planeur hypersonique français V-MAX est (enfin) pour bientôt, promet M. Chiva . fr.
15. Web site: 12 March 2023 . MBDA en dit un peu plus sur l'ASN4G, le futur missile de la composante aéroportée de la dissuasion française . fr.
16. Web site: 13 March 2023 . Le futur missile de la composante aéroportée de la dissuasion française : l'ASN4G . fr.
17. Web site: 1 September 2010 . NATO STO: French Flight Test Program LEA Status . Defense Technical Information Center.
18. Web site: Salerno-Garthwaite . Andrew . 28 June 2023 . France debuts hypersonic glide weapon in first VMaX test flight . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240523202519/https://www.airforce-technology.com/news/france-debuts-hypersonic-glide-weapon-in-first-vmax-test-flight/ . 2024-05-23 . Airforce Technology.
19. Web site: Vavasseur . Xavier . 27 June 2023 . France Conducts First VMaX Hypersonic Glide Vehicle Test . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230629014327/https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2023/06/france-conducts-first-vmax-hypersonic-glide-vehicle-test/ . 2023-06-29 . Naval News.
20. Web site: France conducts first test firing of V-MAX hypersonic glider demonstrator. 27 June 2023.
21. Web site: La France a testé le planeur hypersonique VMAX d'Ariane Group. 27 June 2023.
22. Web site: Armées : la France a testé pour la première fois un planeur hypervéloce, capable de voler à plus de Mach 5. 27 June 2023.
23. Web site: Le ministère des Armées va financer un second démonstrateur de planeur hypersonique, le VMaX-2. Opex 360 . fr . 4 May 2023.
24. Web site: L'ONERA dévoile le projet d'avion militaire hypersonique " Espadon ". 19 July 2023.
25. Web site: Aéronef hypersonique militaire : anticiper la menace. 26 June 2023.
26. Web site: https://web.archive.org/web/20210829013228/https://sgp.fas.org/crs/weapons/R45811.pdf. Hypersonic Weapons: Backgroundand Issues for Congress. 29 August 2021. August 25, 2021. Congressional Research Service.
27. Web site: Hypersonic Weapons: Backgroundand Issues for Congress. February 13, 2023. Congressional Research Service.
28. Web site: SHEFEX – Sharp Edge Flight Experiment . Institute of Structures and Design.
29. Web site: 2024-02-17 . سپاه پاسداران در مراسمی با حضور ابراهیم رئیسی از "موشک هایپرسونیک فتاح" رونمایی کرد . 2024-02-17 . ایران اینترنشنال . fa.
30. Web site: Motamedi . Maziar . Iran unveils upgraded hypersonic missile as Khamenei touts Israel 'failure' . 2024-02-17 . Al Jazeera . en.
31. Web site: Is This Russia's Best Hypersonic Missile yet?. The National Interest. 3 December 2021 .
32. Web site: Gremlin Hypersonic Guided Rocket (GZUR). globalsecurity.org.
33. Web site: South Korea develops Hycore hypersonic cruise missile. 25 January 2022.
34. Web site: UK Developing Reusable Hypersonic Tech. 28 July 2022.
35. Web site: Farnborough 2022: UK reveals 'Concept V' hypersonic aircraft. 18 July 2022.
36. Web site: Britain developing homegrown hypersonic missile . 28 April 2024 .
37. Web site: X-51A Waverider. United States Air Force.
38. Web site: Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept (HAWC). DARPA. Salvatore. Buccellatto.
39. Web site: Partnering and integration speed delivery of a hypersonic missile. www.rtx.com.
40. Web site: Air Force budget backs Raytheon hypersonic, no Lockheed missile funds. DefenseNews.com. Stephen. Losey. 12 March 2024 .
41. Web site: Air Force Looks to Reusable Hypersonics as ARRW Ends and HACM Gears Up for Testing. Air & Space Forces Magazine. John. Tirpak. 13 March 2024 .
42. Web site: Report to Congress on Army Long Range Hypersonic Weapon. USNI.
43. Web site: Lockheed Martin's Hypersonic OpFires Missile Has Medium Range Covered. Lockheed Martin.
44. Web site: Operational Fires. DARPA. Hamish. Malin.
45. Web site: HALO programme accelerates US Navy hypersonic capability drive . 5 September 2022.
46. Web site: Offensive Anti-Surface Warfare (OASuW) Increment 1 . The Office of the Director, Operational Test and Evaluation.
47. Web site: Lockheed-Martin unveils Mako Hypersonic Missile at Sea Air Space 2024 . 12 April 2024 .
48. Web site: Lockheed Martin's New Mako Hypersonic Missile Breaks Cover . 10 April 2024 .