Posted on 08/14/2019 11:15:03 AM PDT by robowombat
Report: Hypersonic, Dual-Capable Missiles Pose Huge Global Threat
By Henry Ridgwell August 13, 2019
New missile technologies, including so-called hypersonic systems capable of traveling at more than 25 times the speed of sound, are fueling a new global arms race, according to a new report from analyst group the European Leadership Network.
The research warns that the collapse this month of the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty between the United States and Russia is just the latest example of the growing pressure on the global security architecture. The researchers say new treaties are urgently needed to counter the threat of emerging technologies.
Russia conducted the latest test flight of its "Avangard" hypersonic missile system in December of last year. Moscow says the Avangard is able to evade all current defense systems.
The Avangard system involves attaching a regular intercontinental ballistic missile to a "glide vehicle" that travels at more than 11,000 kilometers per hour on the edge of the atmosphere, then releases the weapon once over its target. It would be able to carry nuclear and conventional payloads.
The United States, China and Australia also are developing their own systems, said report author Katarzyna Kubiak of the European Leadership Network.
"These are going to outmatch existing missile systems by speed and by maneuverability, and are going to be able to potentially bypass any existing air and missile defense systems for years to come. And on top of this, we also witness an exploration in anti-satellite technologies, which include missiles," said Kubiak.
Furthermore, the development of dual-capable missiles that can carry conventional or nuclear warheads has introduced a new level of ambiguity, and the potential for devastating miscalculation, said Kubiak.
"In a crisis situation, the military is acting under very heavy pressure. And not knowing what kind of missile is flying into them, they might either assume the worst-case scenario or misjudge a situation, which could then lead to an inadvertent escalation," Kubiak added.
The failed test of a missile in the Russian Arctic earlier this month killed at least five workers and led to a spike in local radiation levels, underlining global concerns over Moscow's development of nuclear-propelled missiles.
Kubiak said the global security architecture surrounding missile proliferation is under a huge strain and is being rapidly outpaced by developing technology.
"The already very complex security calculus is going to be even harder. So an unbound missile proliferation will aggravate inter-state competition, it's going to increase costs of maintaining regional and global stability, it's going to increase the costs and the risks of military encounters," said Kubiak.
The report says the international community urgently needs to put the subject of missiles higher on the political agenda, including the strengthening of existing non-proliferation and transparency measures and negotiating treaties to address new technologies.
Why should we continue to adhere to agreements the other parties are not abiding by?
Sadly, in this day and age, there are still nations around the planet that either want to conquer and occupy territory, or simply inflict nuclear annihilation of other nations.
They support terrorist nations. They are enemies of mankind.
China, Russia, Iran, North Korea...
The faster it goes the more it cannot change course; put a cloud of “air” mines into it’s path.
25 times the speed of sound? How do they deal with the heat?
Skynet is amused.
Terminal velocity of an ICBM warhead is my guess. I remember parts of the space shuttle came in that fast.
So much for anti missile research treaties with evil people.
Kinda like trying to not offend Liberals.
Ya, cuz it always helps American security to sign a treaty that will only bind America’s hands.......
I am not sure the treaty ever banned or limited research it banned or controlled deployment.
We unilaterally haven’t pursued research on this technology, social justice needs will protect us! (That’s satire!)
Despite the occasional accident, this system, and other delivery platforms are coming on line quickly now.
Nothing like getting richly rewarded (HRC) for all of the effort to bring Russia up to speed (Skolkavo HGV tech transfer).
This did happen, and the US Army (and other organizations), officially and strongly warned of this tech transfer, and could not stop O and the Clinton’s. But hey, at least the foundation received tens of millions more, and someone could make practical use of the HGV tech. /S
As far as actual weapons -
While they are rapidly rebuilding and updating every order of battle, and rebuilding bases all over the world, as far as the the INF Treaty, like previous nuke treaties, before the negotiations were even really started, RU “redesignated”, many thousands of warheads, so not to be part of any negotiations.
They were moved from the RSRF, over to the “Russian Ministry of Energy”.
There are unclass docs, quoting US officials essentially stating “we know the numbers [we are dealing with] are way off”, and “We really do not know how many are retained, or where they may be”.
When I was in Moscow, the Russian brass rightfully laughed at what was being reported around the world.
They have also long been “recycling” and updating w-h’s. While some weapons were destroyed, including hard sites, while this was happening, beginning in the early 1990’s, Clinton and Congress provided Moscow with billions to establish what amounts to a bit of a propaganda campaign, selling the world on RU destroying related infrastructure.
Even with all the “photo ops”, like Al Gore planting a reath of an “even number” of “yellow”, flowers on a retired ICBM silo up near Arkangelsk, for all the world to see (CNN), at the same time, RU
was launching it’s newest nk sub to the north in Murmansk, with the traditional fireworks celebrations in SP and Moscow the same day.
CNN fiathfully showed the Gore photo ops at the silo to Western audiences. But somehow, just could not fit in the no sub launch to the same audience. Interesting how our media works.
Before that, Clinton gave missile tech, like gyroscopes for example, and access to our GPS system to the Russians. There is actially a lot more...
It banned development, Clinton cost us years of research time.
Didn’t know that!
thanks!
Sounds like a job for Space Force!!!
Enact Red Flag Laws for them. That will solve the problem.
That is one of many challenges with hyper-sonics.
The speed is not a problem. It’s the time to get here. A sub launch from a Russian or China sub can get to the US in about 30 minutes and the US, China, and Russia have over 50 of them.
There is no way of stopping them completely. The U.S. Ground-Based Midcourse Defense System (GMD), formerly known as National Missile Defense (NMD), was first tested in 1997 and had its first successful intercept test in 1999. Instead of using an explosive charge, it launches a hit-to-kill kinetic projectile to intercept an ICBM. The current GMD system is intended to shield the United States mainland against a limited nuclear attack by a rogue state such as North Korea. GMD does not have the ability to protect against an all-out nuclear attack from Russia, as there are currently 44 ground-based interceptors deployed against crossing projectiles headed toward the homeland. (This does not include the THAAD, or Aegis, or Patriot defenses against directly incoming projectiles.) We also have our version of the Russian Gorgon and Gazelle missile systems but they work with nuclear warheads so depending on the intercept, will determine the amount of radioactivity produced and where. (All of it stratosphere so Alpha and Gamma levels and downwind.
rwood
This is an attempt to thwart our anti ballistic missile defense. This type of capability was gathering dust at one of our labs when I came across it in the ‘90s.
Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicles don’t give these types of weapons a chance to start maneuvering. These types of weapons in a conventional configuration are great against anyone without an Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle capability. Which is pretty much everyone but the US. I think Japan may have our ship based capability.
The challenge is that these are expensive. But if you want to send a strong but limited message, they are great.
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