Defense Systems:
Advances in hypersonic missiles capable of sustained flight and maneuverability are raising proliferations concerns because of their ability to defeat current missile defenses, a capability that would “further compress the timelines for response by a nation under attack,” a new report warns.
Hypersonic missiles are defined as air vehicles capable of flying faster than 5,000 kilometers per hour (about 3,106 miles per hour, or Mach 4.08). Hypersonic capabilities have been widely demonstrated for relatively short flights, but capabilities are evolving rapidly. “Technology is just now emerging that [would] enable sustained hypersonic flight,” noted Richard Moore, a senior engineer and analyst with RAND Corp.
Those technologies are being incorporated into hypersonic cruise missiles and glide vehicles, Moore added. The former is launched from aircraft, powered during flight and could reach targets in as little as six minutes. Launched by rockets, glide vehicles would ride the upper atmosphere to their targets with little or no warning, Moore said…
