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| Hypersonic Cruise Missiles and Hypersonic Launch Vehicles Mean |
International Military - Hypersonic missile research and development seems to be back on track recently. Superpower countries such as China, Russia, to the US began to develop this type of missile. In fact, you could say they are competing to develop super-sophisticated hypersonic weapons.
As is well known, hypersonic is a very fast missile system. So fast, this missile cannot be intercepted by current missile defense systems. In the future, hypersonic missiles are predicted to play a big role in various countries.
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However, what exactly is a hypersonic missile? In short, hypersonic missiles are missiles that travel at speeds of Mach 5 or higher. In other words, which is about 1 mile per second. Quoted from Partyard Military, hypersonic missiles come in two variants, namely:
- Hypersonic cruise missile
- Hypersonic glide vehicle
A hypersonic cruise missile is a missile that can hit its target with the help of a high-speed jet engine that allows it to travel at extreme speeds. In fact, it has a speed exceeding Mach-5. This missile is non-ballistic, as opposed to the traditional Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) which utilizes the force of gravity to hit its target.
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One of the countries that is attacking hypersonic missiles is Russia. In fact, the country has already carried out various other tests of its hypersonic missiles. The Defense Ministry said the frigate Admiral Gorshkov of the Northern Fleet in the White Sea launched a Zircon cruise missile in the Barents Sea, successfully hitting a training target in the White Sea about 1,000 kilometers (540 nautical miles) away.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the Zircon missile is capable of flying at nine times the speed of sound and has a range of 1,000 kilometers (620 miles). The missile is intended to arm Russian cruisers, frigates and submarines and can be used against enemy ships and ground targets.
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However, this is just one of several hypersonic missiles being developed in Russia. Others are still in development stages that may not have been published yet. On the other hand, there is also a hypersonic glide vehicle. This type of hypersonic missile uses a re-entry vehicle.
Initially, the missile is launched into space with a curved trajectory, during which the warhead is released and falls into the atmosphere at hypersonic speeds. Then, the warhead is attached to a glide vehicle that re-enters the atmosphere.
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Not only that, through its aerodynamic shape, it can ride the shock waves generated by its own lift as it violates the speed of sound, providing sufficient speed to overcome existing missile defense systems. The glide vehicle glides through the atmosphere between an altitude of 40-100km and reaches its destination by utilizing aerodynamic forces.