It’s just as hard to defend against a slow moving, undetectable target. You’re not going to see a manned hypersonic weapon. That doesn’t make a lot of sense. For now, hypersonics are just conventional payloads on an ICBM.
-
Please take a moment and update your account profile. If you have an updated account profile with basic information on why you are on Air Warriors it will help other people respond to your posts. How do you update your profile you ask?
Go here:
Edit Account Details and Profile
B-21
- Thread starter CallumJohn
- Start date
CallumJohn
Active Member
? I do wonder if we'll see them in the near future though.
Hopefully the bad guys get a “this is not an actual nuke” note before de-siloing their own ICBMs.
It’s got a different flight profile for exactly that reason.
I think if I was a farmer in North Dakota and saw one come out of the backyard silo, and even knowing it's just sending a glider down range, I'd still shit my pants.
Last edited:
Ask half a dozen 'smart' folks about hypersonics today and you'll likely get at least 4 or more answers. As with many things, it gets complicated when you start digging. Some weapons that are claimed to be hypersonic are in fact capable of hypersonic speeds but they don't fit into the widely accepted or popular contemporary definition of a 'hypersonic' weapon. Fun fact, hypersonic weapons have been around for ~70 years and they're more popularly known as ballistic missiles (not all ballistic missile reach hypersonic speeds but most do or are capable of doing so).
What is talked about today in the context of hypersonic weapons covers a relatively wide range of systems that encompasses short to long-ranged weapons, launched from a variety of platforms against a variety of targets with conventional and nuclear warheads. Hypersonic weapons pretty much all need some sort of booster to achieve hypersonic speeds, and the easiest way to do this is strap them to the top of a ballistic missile but not all get up to speed that way. Of course, then you get in to what exactly is a 'ballistic' missile nowadays since many don't fly a classic 'ballistic' flight path...
Anyways, manned hypersonic platforms that aren't likely in the cards in the near future. The cost just ain't worth it, and what would the point be? An unmanned system to do the same job would not only cost less and be able to do it just as well but would also be much lower risk.
That's one hell of a heat signature
CallumJohn
Active Member
I heard a quote, "Murica's been messing with hypersonics since your dad was born"
Farmers in North Dakota aren’t what STRATCOM is worried about.
Chinese farmland grabs near U.S. bases: Economic or strategic? | AGDAILY
China's purchase of more U.S. land in North Dakota near a local air force base has stirred up concerns over national security.
www.agdaily.com
Speaking of hypersonics, here is this year's China Military Power Report that has a few mentions of Chinese hypersonic weapons. Among the highlights:
Hypersonics and Fractional Orbital Bombardment. The PRC is probably developing advanced nuclear delivery systems such as a strategic hypersonic glide vehicle and a fractional orbital bombardment (FOB) system in part due to long-term concerns about United States missile defense capabilities, as well as to attain qualitative parity with future worldwide missile capabilities. On July 27th, 2021, the PRC conducted a test of an ICBM-range hypersonic glide vehicle that travelled 40,000 kilometers. The test likely demonstrated the PRC’s technical ability to field a FOB system.
Hypersonics and Fractional Orbital Bombardment. The PRC is probably developing advanced nuclear delivery systems such as a strategic hypersonic glide vehicle and a fractional orbital bombardment (FOB) system in part due to long-term concerns about United States missile defense capabilities, as well as to attain qualitative parity with future worldwide missile capabilities. On July 27th, 2021, the PRC conducted a test of an ICBM-range hypersonic glide vehicle that travelled 40,000 kilometers. The test likely demonstrated the PRC’s technical ability to field a FOB system.
What was its trajectory? Altitude? The circumference of the Earth is about 40,000 kilometers.
The most impressive and scary part is that they performed that test underground
The most impressive and scary part is that they performed that test underground
So THAT'S what The Boring company has been doing all these years...