All articles tagged with #hypersonic weapons
North Korea conducted missile tests involving hypersonic weapons, with leader Kim Jong Un emphasizing the need to strengthen the country's nuclear deterrent amid regional tensions and upcoming political events, including a major party congress and international summits.
China plans to showcase advanced military hardware, including hypersonic weapons, at a parade on September 3, highlighting its military modernization efforts under Xi Jinping amidst global competition and concerns over corruption within its armed forces.
The Pentagon, in collaboration with SpaceX, has launched six satellites to enhance its missile tracking capabilities, with four satellites supporting the Space Development Agency's tracking constellation and two being part of the Missile Defense Agency's Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor program. These satellites, residing in low Earth orbit, aim to detect and track traditional ballistic missiles and maneuvering hypersonic weapons, providing a more robust network to counter increasing threats from China and Russia. The Pentagon plans to invest nearly $16 billion in these efforts through fiscal 2028, with future tranches of SDA spacecraft combining capabilities and incorporating improved sensor technology.
The Ukrainian Air Force successfully intercepted a Russian Kh-47 Kinzhal hypersonic air-launched ballistic missile aimed at Kyiv using an American-supplied Patriot missile system, marking a significant achievement given the Kinzhal's reputation as an almost un-interceptable weapon. The interception demonstrates the capabilities of Ukraine's air defense systems and the strategic impact of international military support. Intercepting hypersonic missiles like the Kinzhal poses challenges due to their extraordinary speed, maneuverability, and high altitude operation. The Patriot system, developed before the advent of hypersonic weapons, faces difficulties countering such advanced missiles.
The Pentagon views 3D printing as a "game changer" for the military, enabling rapid repairs to aircraft, accelerating the development of hypersonic weapons, and creating complex components. Additive manufacturing has made significant advancements, allowing for the creation of high-entropy metals with higher tensile strength and the ability to withstand wear and tear. The Defense Department is exploring ways to apply this technology, including the potential to print entire structures like runways or hangars. However, traditional manufacturing techniques still have their place, and additive manufacturing should be used intentionally and selectively.
Anduril Industries has acquired Adranos, a solid rocket manufacturer, to strengthen its position in the hypersonic and missile market. The acquisition will allow Anduril to supply solid rocket motors to companies that make hypersonic weapons, missiles, and other propulsion systems. Adranos is known for creating a solid rocket fuel called ALITEC, made of an aluminum-lithium alloy, which can produce up to 40% more range in solid rocket motors than other fuels at lower cost. Anduril plans to develop Adranos' production facility in Mississippi into a modern manufacturing facility to produce thousands of solid rocket motors per year.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that half of the country's Strategic Missile Force units have been equipped with the latest Yars missile systems and are being rearmed with modern Avangard hypersonic warheads. Hypersonic weapons travel at extremely high speeds, making them highly challenging to track and intercept. The Yars missile system is a modern intercontinental ballistic missile system that forms a key component of Russia's strategic nuclear deterrent. The Avangard warhead is a hypersonic glide vehicle capable of maneuvering at hypersonic speeds during its descent phase, making it highly challenging for traditional anti-ballistic missile systems to intercept. The combination of the Yars missile systems and Avangard warheads enhances Russia's deterrence capabilities and strengthens its strategic nuclear posture.
The US Marine Corps has published its annual update to Force Design 2030, the plan to revamp the Marine Corps’ technology, recruitment, installations, and training. The update includes several specific initiatives, such as a new reconnaissance battalion, a common launcher for ground-launched loitering munitions, and a long-range attack munition. The plan also reinforces the importance of amphibious ships and the establishment of the Marine Littoral Regiment. The service has received broad bipartisan support from Capitol Hill, and the Marines are seeing tangible results from their modernization efforts.
Videos on social media allegedly showing Ukrainian forces downing Russia's hypersonic Kinzhal missile in Kyiv have been debunked by Ukrainian air defense, which said it downed its own drone after it lost control over Kyiv. The suggestion that this video footage is of a Russian missile being shot down has been debunked. The missile attacks happened in the early hours of the morning, and Ukraine's Defense Express outlet initially reported that Ukrainian forces had successfully shot down and destroyed all enemy missiles from the Thursday attack at 2:40 a.m. local time, including the "hypersonic" Kh-47 "Kinzhal" Dagger missile, a missile that has previously been deemed unbeatable by Russia.
The US Air Force's test of the AGM-183A Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) hypersonic missile in March was a failure, according to the service secretary. The program may be in jeopardy, and the Air Force is more committed to the Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM) program at this point. The ARRW program has struggled in its testing program, and a decision on whether to continue with the program could come as part of the FY25 budget process next year following a study of the failed March test and possibly two more test launches.
Putin claimed that he delayed a full-scale invasion of Ukraine until 2022 due to economic and military factors, including the lack of hypersonic weapons in 2014. The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin for overseeing the "unlawful deportation of children" from Ukraine. Ukraine plans to punish Russia for its war crimes committed in Ukraine, while Moscow dismissed the ICC's decision.