Hypersonics

At the Diplomat, I take a look at a pretty good RAND report on hypersonic weapons…

Hypersonics pose a threat to states that rely upon a robust, integrated defense against ballistic missiles. Against states without these defenses, they pose a threat no more significant than that of conventional cruise or ballistic missiles. Given that with the current capabilities of fielded missile defense systems, no state enjoys a robust, integrated defense against ballistic missiles, the threat posed by hypersonics is necessarily future oriented. Essentially, hypersonics restore the threat that anti-ballistic missile systems were intended to alleviate.

Hypersonics also exacerbate the threat posed by traditional cruise and ballistic missiles, although through an increase in degree of threat rather than in kind. Extant tactical surface-to-air missile defense struggle to handle the threat posed by hypersonics, as these approach targets at great speed and with unusual flight profiles.