The world’s most powerful armies are currently focused on the much-touted Mach 5 weapons system, as is commonly stated in the Hypersonic community.
China successfully tested a Mach 5 weapon in 2021, with one U.S. general describing the launch as a near Sputnik moment. Russia has been discussing hypersonic weapons since 2018, when it released a sizzle reel of one hypersonic missile, the Kh-47M2 Kinzhal, destroying Florida.
Russia’s Hypersonic Missile Program
Not to be outdone, the United States has approximately 70 (seven-zero) projects to develop hypersonic technologies, including bombers, missiles, and their propulsion systems. In fact, Vladimir Putin just this week announced imminent plans to test his frigate-launched Zircon hypersonic missile, which is rumored to be capable of Mach 9 speeds.
In January, the embattled Russian leader participated remotely in the farewell ceremony of the Admiral Gorshkov frigate. Later this month, the ship will launch the missile during a training exercise with the South African and Chinese navies.
Russia claims it will be the first-ever launch during an event of this type, but the launch is likely more of a show of force towards the West. While an unstoppable Russian missile would be a problem for the United States and most of Europe, Putin may be exaggerating the weapon’s effectiveness.
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Comparative Analysis Of Ballistic
Nikolai Yevmenov, commander-in-chief of the Russian Navy, told a Russian news site in 2021 that the weapon still had issues, and a new report by the U.S. Congressional Budget Office will likely highlight some of these issues.
While the 72-page report concluded that hypersonic missiles have the speed to be useful in the early stages of a conflict, it also poured cold water on the hypersonic technology hype.
The harshest reality is that technology has yet to devise a way to control the immense amount of heat generated by a system traveling faster than Mach 5.
The second major drawback is cost. While 300 ground- or sea-launched, intermediate-range ballistic missiles cost $13.4 billion which is not exactly chump change, the same number of hypersonic missiles would cost approximately $18 billion.
Ballistic missiles are also difficult to defend against, especially if they are equipped with countermeasures to confuse midcourse missile defenses and maneuverable warheads to evade short-range missile defenses, according to the report.
It is unlikely that hypersonic missiles, engines, aircraft, and bombers will continue to develop at speeds commensurate with their Mach 5 capabilities. According to this report, however, the era in which hypersonic weapons completely redefine modern warfare is still some time away.
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