Hypersonics

Setting the Record Straight on Hypersonic Weapons

Recent reports would have you believe that hypersonic weapons—an emerging class of low-altitude, high-speed missiles—are poised to revolutionize modern military strategy. A recent op-ed in the New York Times characterized these “game-changing” missiles as the “apotheosis” of airborne weaponry, capable of feats that “no missile can currently achieve.” This fantastical depiction, which underpins a race among the major military powers to develop these weapons, is part of a long pattern of media hype.

But are these weapons really so revolutionary? Will they upend the global security environment? And does their arrival make conflict between United States, Russia, and China inevitable?

Probably not. To determine what effects hypersonic weaponry might have on national and global security, and what advantages it might offer over existing missile technologies, it is necessary to first take a step back and assess precisely what these weapons can—or cannot—do. This means starting not from bombastic media reports, but from the fundamental physics of hypersonic flight. Recent work by Ivan Oelrich, for example, points out serious physical limitations to the performance of hypersonic missiles. After all, the United States has a history of pouring money into flashy weapons systems only to later find that the technology does not live up to the hype.