Washington Times

Today, America’s freedom of strategic maneuver on the world stage is under growing threat. While the United States now possesses systems that provide protection against limited rogue-state ballistic missile threats (a product of the George W. Bush era), these capabilities fall far short of being a comprehensive shield against foreign aggression.

Meanwhile, a number of hostile nations are investing in a new class of weapons known as hypersonic missiles which are capable of defeating those deployed systems — and thereby potentially deterring America from defending its allies, interests and even the U.S. homeland itself.

Unlike ballistic missiles, which travel in a predictable arc, hypersonic missiles are extremely maneuverable. They are also extremely fast, narrowing the time available to defenders to respond. Finally, hypersonic missiles fly too low for long-range radar to detect them, requiring tracking from an elevated position. It’s no wonder that America’s adversaries — including Xi Jinping’s China and Vladimir Putin’s Russia — have come to view hypersonics as a strategic game-changer, and invested heavily in their development in recent years.

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