Hypersonic Unmanned Aircraft

2021

In just a few years, hypersonic glide vehicles and cruise missiles have become new symbols of military power, signaling a return to strategic competition between States. Hypersonic weapons are an alternative to "conventional" ballistic or cruise missiles and combine the advantages of speed and maneuverability to overcome theatre and homeland anti-missile defense systems, thus being able to reach targets deep in enemy territory or at sea. Although uncertainties remain with regard to the budgetary sustainability of such weapons, the gradually increasing maturity of hypersonic technologies makes the adoption of such systems by the major powers inevitable. They will significantly modify the nature of future military operations, notably influencing the decision-making cycles and command architectures.

2021

Hypersonic missiles are a new category of weapons that have sparked intense debate among security experts. The hypersonic weapons, this combination of speed, accuracy, surprise, and maneuverability makes the defense against them more difficult than against standard ballistic or cruise missiles and therefore makes them more destabilizing. Capable of traveling over five times the speed of sound (Mach 5), and of performing evasive maneuvers mid-flight, they are considered practically impossible to intercept using conventional missile defense systems. Innovative nuclear and conventional weapon delivery systems are impressive and developing. These are grouped into three categories: intercontinental ballistic missiles, hypersonic delivery systems and new advanced strategic weapon delivery capabilities. These and other technological advances being made simultaneously may also impact arms control and strategic stability. Other characteristics of hypersonic systems, however, are potentially advantageous compared with ballistic missiles. Of particular interest are the ability to fly at low altitude, making detection by earth-based sensors difficult; the ability to maneuver during flight to avoid detection and interception; and the unpredictability of targets, since hypersonic vehicles do not follow a ballistic trajectory.

2021

In March 2019, we published an analysis entitled Hypersonic Missiles – a Political Multipurpose Weapon. It was aimed at evaluating political and strategic dimensions of the development of hypersonic weapons against the background of technical, operational and economic realities. The basic conclusions we reached at that time are valid now as well. However, some important recent developments in this field are worth noticing. Thus, in the present analysis we will depict how the maturation of the weaponry mentioned two and a half years ago has progressed and what is new within the realm of hypersonics. We will also offer some slightly updated strategic assessments.

2000

This report summarizes the deliberations and conclusions of the 2000 Air Force Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) study on Why and Whither Hypersonics Research in the US Air Force. In this study the committee describes the operational requirements of a hypersonic system and presents a research program for air breathing hypersonics to meet the operational requirements. We define a program resulting in an operational air breathing hypersonic space launch system in about 2025. This program includes several exit ramps and potential options. The exit ramps would lead to either an operational rocket-based reusable launch system or continuation of the expendable course the Air Force is currently on. A Red Team Panel was part of the study team and provides alternatives to the air breathing hypersonic systems to meet the operational requirements. The study results represent an outstanding collaboration between the scientific and operational communities and among government, industry, and academia. The Study committee wishes to thank the many individuals who contributed to the deliberations and the report, as listed in Appendix A. In addition to Scientific Advisory Board members, many ad hoc members devoted their time. The team would also like to thank all the organizations that gave presentations to our panel and hosted us as listed in Appendix D. The Air Force Academy provided outstanding technical writers-Capt Susan Hastings, Capt David Jablonski, and Capt Matthew Murdoughwho provided fantastic support in preparing this report. Lt Col Dan Heale from the Air Force Research Laboratory served as an outstanding executive officer for the Investment Panel as well as provided a liaison role with Air Force Materiel Command. The Study committee would like to recognize the SAB Secretariat and support staff, in particular Maj Doug Amon, and the ANSER team, especially Ms Kristin Lynch, who provided invaluable administrative and logistical assistance in pulling together the myriad of inputs into this final report. Their efforts are greatly appreciated. Finally, this report reflects the collective judgment of the SAB and hence is not to be viewed as the official position of the United States Air Force.

Politeja

This article aims to shed some light on the impact of the emergence of hypersonic weapons on strategic and political realities. Firstly, it briefly describes the underlying laws of physics and technologies related to hypersonics. Secondly, it investigates the strategic and political consequences of developing the new weapons systems. The general assumption is that already fielded hypersonic weapons systems, and those that will enter service in the foreseeable future will not significantly change the global strategic balance. It is because, to a great extent, disadvantages offset the advantages the technology may provide. On the other hand, the political significance of developing hypersonic military technology is much higher, as it is a source of prestige, particularly important from the Chinese and Russian points of view.

2022

The authors thank the German Federal Foreign Office and the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs for their generous funding, which enabled the production of this paper as part of the research project 'Quo vadis MTCR: The Missile Technology Control Regime at a crossroads'. The information contained in this report builds on past research by the authors on hypersonic missiles and export controls, and on information collected through a series of background interviews and communications with representatives of national licensing authorities, delegates to the multilateral export control regimes, and missile technology experts. The authors would also like to thank Dr Markus Schiller for providing a technical background briefing and for his support, valuable input and feedback throughout the production of this paper. The authors also thank their SIPRI colleagues and four external reviewers for their detailed comments on a previous version of the paper. Finally, the authors thank the SIPRI Editorial Department for its excellent work. UAV Uncrewed (or 'unmanned') aerial vehicle UN United Nations V-MAX Véhicule manoeuvrant experimental (programme of France)

Hypersonic Vehicles - Past, Present and Future Developments, 2019

ZBN Analysis, 2019

Hypersonic weapons have recently become a very popular leitmotif of the debates concerning national security of many nation-states and international security as a whole. Hypersonics technology gets attention mainly because it is often supposed to alter the existing strategic balance. Therefore, on the one hand, the new weapons systems have been loudly advertised by Russia which claims to have achieved a virtual invincibility thanks to this wunderwaffe. On the other hand, in the U.S., and to a lesser extent in the other Western countries, there is a chorus of alarming voices calling for higher funding and quicker pace of research and development (R&D) efforts to develop their own hypersonic weapons and to create capabilities to counter the enemy’s systems of that sort. In addition, China has its own vast and secretive weapons development program, hypersonic missiles included. It is, therefore, worth to review this issue and try to grasp a real impact of the new but steadily maturing technologies on international security. You will find FULL TEXT .pdf under the link zbn.inp.uj.edu.pl below.

IRIA, 2021

Hypersonic weapons and directed-energy weapons systems have been the center of attention for defense analysts for quite some time now, however, since 2020 major powers have made significant progress in developing hypersonic and directed-energy weapons capabilities. Directed-energy weapons are designed to damage distanced targets with highly focused energy, such as lasers, microwaves, and particle beams. Laser weapons are the most common type of energy weapons that can be deployed on aircraft, ships, and military vehicles. Laser weapons can hit a target with speed, flexibility, and precision and effectively avoid detection. These weapons are highly effective for Multi-Domain Operations and can deter low-cost threats, such as drones. Hypersonic weapons are considered the next generation of arms aimed at countering adversaries with increased precision without giving interceptors the time to react and depriving the counter mechanisms. Several countries have been involved in developing their own hypersonic weapons and equipping their strategic allies with technologies that can reach speed above Mach 5 (five times the speed of sound).

Defense Technology Brief, 2019

Deals with an explanation of hypersonic weapons and defenses. Covers systems in China and Russia