A hypersonic projectile travels at least five times the speed of sound. Here's what we know about the recent test.
.” That’s an engine that compresses incoming air, mixes with its fuel, and then ignites the airflow mixture. Using that scramjet, this HAWC was able to cruise at Mach 5, or over 5 times the speed of sound, travel over 345 miles, and reach altitudes above 65,000 feet., but what sets the HAWC apart is that it can maneuver in flight at high speeds, making it harder for anti-missile defenses to stop it.
“Any government faced with the possibility that hypersonic missiles would be employed against it—particularly in a decapitating attack—would plan countermeasures, many of which could be destabilizing,” reads a. Because hypersonics are developed by nuclear-armed countries, they could change the calculus around nuclear first strikes.
Nuclear deterrence is a delicate affair. It relies on both countries trying to deter each other having similar understanding of weapon capabilities, expectations of doctrine, and similar perceptions of threat.