Defense

Washington Scrambles to Counter Russia’s Hypersonic Nuclear Missiles Before 2020

Earlier this week Russian defense industry officials revealed plans to deploy a revolutionary hypersonic maneuvering strike missile by 2020 leaving Washington scrambling to come up with a new missile defense shield capable of shooting down the elite weapon.
Lockheed Martin missile defense experts believe that the Pentagon is exploring ways to shoot down the maneuvering hypersonic missiles with options including a modified extended-range version of the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense, called THAAD-ER, as well as high-powered lasers capable of shooting down missiles before they reach hypersonic speeds. Last week, the Pentagon’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) began the bidding discovery process for a system capable of intercepting hundreds of small drone-like systems as well as conventional missile systems that led defense industry analysts to wonder whether the US military was looking for a sophisticated multi-level laser system not only to tackle the proliferation of small drones but also potentially to counter Russia’s hypersonic weapons renaissance.