Hypersonic weapons might be powerful, but they have their weaknesses

   

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Above: The AGM-183 ARRW ("Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon") under the B-52 bomber (Wikipedia)

Hypersonic weapons might be powerful, but they have their weaknesses

Hypersonic weapons are suitable only the high-speed flight, and that's why this technology might be suitable for missiles. But if the fighter jets use ramjet or scramjet engines the system requires also normal jet engines, which allows it to operate also with low speed and altitude missions. 

The hypersonic missiles are a brand new thing, and in the next week, the USAF will make the maiden flight by using its first hypersonic missile, AGM-183 ("Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon"). There are many other countries, like China and Russia, which are also developing hypersonic missiles. 

There is the possibility that in the future the microwave systems can be used to destroy those missiles. If the air-defense systems can predict the route of the hypersonic missile, they can shoot them by using the same ABM/ASAT weapons, that are already in use. 

Also, rapid firing-long range anti-aircraft systems like railguns might have the ability to destroy those hypersonic cruise and glide systems. But for making that thing in real life system must know the trajectory of the missiles. One version of the limited defense is the flying Trophy, which bases the "Trophy-system", which shoots incoming ammunition by using rifle-caliber weapons. 

Use of drone swarms against hypersonic missiles

Some of those systems bases on the use of millions of quadcopters, which are controlled by artificial intelligence. Those quadcopters might close the airway from the missile, but that requires that the system knows the trajectory. And the "Trophy" system can easily be installed on the quadcopters. 

So there are limited defense systems against hypersonic weapons, and one of those things is drone swarm, whose mission is to come to the route of the hypersonic cruise missiles. Those drone swarms can sweep away from the route of the hypersonic missile by using microwaves, but the thing is that those quadcopters can be protected by jammer equipment, which would turn the microwaves away from the drones. 

The idea is that the hypersonic weapon should travel through the drone swarms and the primary thing is that those drones can shoot incoming missiles by using rifle-caliber weapons. The idea is that when the bullet is shot from the flying "trophy"-system, the impact power of the bullet is extremely high. And there could be millions of those drones waiting for the command. 

The active system would be similar to the famous "Trophy"-system, which is protecting tanks and other targets in conflict areas. The effect of those systems is limited, but if the quadcopter or bullet hits straight to the nose of the missile that travels with the speed of Mach 12-20, the impact power would be extremely high. 

They can aim at microwaves or electric arcs to the hypersonic missile, or they can simply collide with those missiles. The drones can stay in position very long time if they are getting electricity from the ground stations. And there is introduced a plan that also the ballistic missiles can be destroyed or their ability to finish the mission can be disturb. And in some versions, the system would make the electric arc or plasma-cloud at the route of the missile. Then the missile will load by using opposite electric polarity.  That causes that plasma will impact the missile, and maybe it can disturb its homing routines. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AGM-183_ARRW

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypersonic_flight

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trophy_(countermeasure)

Image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AGM-183_ARRW