Hypersonic weapons are maneuverable weapons that travel faster than Mach 5, five times the speed of sound. While speed is a huge advantage for these weapons, their maneuvering capability is also significant. Modern missile defense systems rely on ballistic missiles’ predictable trajectories to effectively intercept incoming threats. In March 2018, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the testing of the Kinzhal missile, a hypersonic missile capable of reaching Mach 10 speeds while carrying either conventional or nuclear warheads. China has also been heavily developing and testing their own hypersonics, like the DF-ZF, a hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) that can reach speeds near Mach 10. The weapon can be configured to carry a conventional or nuclear warhead. The DF-ZF is scheduled to be operational by 2020 and presents yet another level of danger. Consider a nearly unstoppable, blindingly fast, and precise missile equipped with a nuclear warhead.
Nov 2021. The Modern Arms Race
