Hypersonic Missiles – a Political Multipurpose Weapon

2018

The advent of hypersonic armaments on the international scene promises to deeply undermine the current strategic balance between the United States, China and Russia based on the deterrence of their respective nuclear arsenals. Hypersonic missiles fit into the emerging category of the so-called "non-nuclear strategic weapons" that can potentially overcome any current defensive system. What will be the consequences of the new arms race for the future of international security?

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.

Safety & Defense

This article presents the results of research that set out to identify and characterize the challenges and threats to international security posed by the use of hypersonic weapons. The research process mainly employed the critical assessment of the literature, systemic and comparative analyses and generalization. As a result of the research, it was established that hypersonic weapons are an indispensable tool in the conducting of international competition by the Russian Federation and can be treated on par with nuclear weapons. Due to its attributes, it meets the criteria of an offensive weapon and poses certain uncertainties and real threats to the international security environment mainly because, so far, the capabilities to intercept and destroy it in the active phase of flight to the target has not been acquired. The Russian Federation considers hypersonic weapons as an excellent tool for applying pressure and aggression, allowing it to conduct international competition in the g...

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.

CISS Insight , 2020

Hypersonic weapons are becoming a reality with the deployment of Avangard glide vehicle by Russia and the successful testing of such weapons by China and the US. Built to overcome ballistic missile defenses, these weapons are often touted as unstoppable and a possible game-changer. Unlike traditional missiles, hypersonic glide vehicles glide towards their targets giving the defender no time to respond and intercept them. These weapons impact strategic stability by compressing the decision-making time, increasing counterforce temptations due to their precision targeting, and by causing a new arms race. The ability to carry both conventional and nuclear warheads off these weapon can also lead to miscalculation and inadvertent escalation. With weakening arms control and trust deficit at the global level, the global strategic stability would be under stress with the induction of these weapons in nuclear-weapon states' inventories until some confidence-building measures are adopted. They will continue to challenge the strategic stability even after new systems are developed to counter them.

Finabel, 2020

Hypersonic technology is expected to revolutionise the way countries throughout the world can counter ballistic and nuclear attacks. With these technologies arises a new kind of arms race, putting today's global balance of power at risk-hence the importance of highlighting the pros and the cons of these increasingly coveted weapons, and the global impact they may have. Hypersonic weapons: a disruptive technology?

SYP U.K. British Pugwash, 2019

1.1 Hypersonic missiles are a new type of missile which possesses speed and manoeuvring capabilities that make them a game-changer in nuclear (and conventional) interstate competition1. They are much faster than existing cruise missiles and much more manoeuvrable than existing ballistic missile re-entry vehicles (RVs). They can reach and maintain hypersonic speeds, i.e. speeds exceeding Mach 52. However, this characteristic is not unique to them: ICBM RVs also travel at hypersonic speeds3. Hypersonic missiles follow a non-ballistic trajectory, flying between 18 miles and 60 miles in altitude. Their manoeuvrability allows them to change course up to the last minutes of flight4 and achieve a high degree of targeting precision. These characteristics have implications for detection. The unusual altitude and flight path of hypersonic missiles can result in their being invisible to existing missile early-warning radars for much of their trajectory. Some varieties5 will be will be detected by satellites during their boost-phase. HCMs are a two-stage weapon system, the first-stage is a small rocket booster that will accelerate the missile at the right supersonic speed needed for properly starting the second stage. During the firing of the first-stage there could be the possibility for a boost-phase detection. It is still not certain if the infrared signature of the first stage of HCM could be detected by infrared satellites used for missile warning. See JAMES ACTON (n.2), p. 68.

IPRI Journal, 2021

The development of new technologies and their use for military means has narrowed the gap between the technologically advanced and less developed countries. 1 This may have disturbed the traditional balance of power with greater prospects of conflict between states with asymmetric military potential, besides increasing the risks of conventional and nuclear entanglement. 2 The dangers are more pronounced in South Asia where growing conventional disparity coupled with new war fighting doctrines continue to strain strategic stability, thus making it imperative for the other side to strengthen its 'cross domain' deterrence posture. 3 India's recent test of Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV), 4 which apparently aims to build its credentials of a technologically advanced country; once operationalised, would proffer an option of a preemptive conventional counterforce strike against Pakistan's short range ballistic missiles (SRBMs)to deter Pakistan from the early deployment of its SRBMs and to create space for India's limited war fighting doctrine of 'Cold Start.' In response, Pakistan is likely to develop countermeasures that could ensure the integrity of its Full Spectrum Deterrence (FSD) posture. This action-reaction syndrome could trigger a new arms race with increased risks of miscalculation in a future military crisis between the two nuclear armed states.

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.

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.