Posted on 01/18/2019 8:37:51 AM PST by SleeperCatcher
As Russia and China get closer to actually fielding nuclear-armed hypersonic ICBMs, the Pentagon has been hard at work on a pair of concepts designed to meet the threat.
In addition to developing its own hypersonic missiles, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, is also working on a game-changer of its own: ‘Counter-hypersonics.’
As reported by Warrior Maven, DARPA is working on an interceptor that can take on incoming hypersonic warheads traveling at speeds in excess of Mach 5. As such, the secretive agency is soliciting proposals for a concept known as “Glide Breaker,” which seeks to “develop an enabling technology critical for an advanced interceptor capable of defeating hypersonic vehicles,” according to FedBizOpps.gov.
(Excerpt) Read more at greatpowerwar.com ...
Easy as shooting a bullet with a bullet.
In some ways easier.
We are being invaded and destroyed culturally here and now by those amongst us.
I don’t care about China or Russia. They are not a threat, comparatively.
Hyper sonic ICBM? Wouldn’t that be in the boost phase only?
Ballistic means an unpowered descent, right? Could it retain hyper sonic speed when being brought down by gravity alone?
The issue is the speed and the fact that it can maneuver.
You are correct. It is called "domestic enemies" and is covered in many oaths of office that most of the political class doesn't understand.
A shock wave of sufficient density should be useful. The incoming missile hits a wall of solid atmosphere and disintegrates.
The USSR pledged to never use nukes as a first strike. The ABM treaty proved this to be a lie, but it’s distressing to have Russia announce that these are first strike weapons.
Any treaty with Russians is as dodgy as a used Ural.
I rest my case. This is just one example they “chose” to share.
Seems to me satellites with lasers would be an effective weapon against them.
It looks like we’ll very quickly graduate from hypersonics to directed energy weapons.
almost as good as sharks, no doubt.
“It looks like we’ll very quickly graduate from hypersonics to directed energy weapons.”
Yep. Reagan was committed to building these what, 30+ years ago? And the libs all thought Ronaldus Magnus was crazy.
I think that's an artifact of trying to apply an existing label to a totally new type of threat. They aren't ballistic, they are basically intercontinental cruise missiles. They are scary and we'd better get prepared to deal with them or we'll be at a serious strategic disagvantage.
They are like bullets with terminal guidance.
And much faster. But they slow rapidly in the atmosphere...in 10s of miles they are no longer hypersonic. Sometimes they even disintegrate.
That said, I don’t think anyone has developed a broadly deployable weapon system for fixed targets yet, much less so the Chinese brag on hitting moving ships with one.
“They aren’t ballistic, they are basically intercontinental cruise missiles. “
As far as I know, no country has had a successful POWERED hypersonic flight in the atmosphere for more than a few minutes.
At best.
So, no, they are not intercontinental cruise missiles. They are ballistic missiles with maneuverable re-entry warheads.
If it’s true they are not ballistic, but powered all the way like a Mach 5 cruise missile, their propulsion system must be awesome.
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