Image 1) The image above portrays the British reusable hypersonic system concept. "The single-engine vehicles would be reusable. They would return after a mission"(BBC/UK studies reusable hypersonic military jet technology)
The new hypersonic missiles like USAF AGM-183 and Chinese DF-21D and DF-26 ballistic anti-ship missiles are brand new technology. Today, many countries are developing this kind of weapon. The Russian Kinzhal missile is one of the first hypersonic missiles, that entered service. That rocket-engined missile must launch from a MiG-31 interceptor so that it can reach hypersonic speed.
Those missiles are made to attack their targets by using a low trajectory, which makes them more difficult to destroy than ever before. Hypersonic cruise missiles can launch from ships and aircraft.
The Chinese systems use ballistic missiles as their carriers. Those missiles shoot the hypersonic glider to ballistic trajectory. And then that glider hits to target. Most of those systems are meant to use against fixed targets like factories and bunkers. The advancing technology makes it possible that the next-generation hypersonic missiles can attack aircraft carriers. And probably even more advanced systems give those weapons so good accuracy that they can shoot things like mobile missile systems and even single tanks.
That kind of system can involve multiple small-size glider systems that are shot into the air by using a ballistic missile. Then those systems will target tanks or troops on the battlefield. So they can be the next-generation versions of the guided cluster bombs. Also, hypersonic attack aircraft can be very destructive if it flies at a very low altitude with the speed of Mach 3+.
Today most of those hypersonic missiles are using rocket engines. But the scramjet-driven versions are coming to the service.
There is news at C4isrnet.com and defensenews.com with the date 19th July 2022 the Raytheon system made successful tests with a hypersonic scramjet-driven missile. Also, the U.S military tested another- ballistic missile-driven hypersonic system launched from the Marines' truck.
Image 2) "DARPA conducted a test of Raytheon's Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept, or HAWC, earlier this month. (DARPA)"(C4isrnet.com/ Raytheon hypersonic scramjet missile has another successful flight test)
British are studying reusable hypersonic technology.
Reusable hypersonic flight technology can make a revolution in military and civil aviation. This technology makes it possible to create hypersonic bombers, cargo planes, and passenger transporters. The thing that gets the most benefit from hypersonic systems is long-range attack planes. Those planes can attack any fixed target in less than two hours. And also hypersonic cargo planes can transport equipment and men to the operational area very fast. There are three ways to use hypersonic systems in military use. The first version is the recon and intelligence platforms.
There are rumors that USAF and some other airforces have recon planes that can fly over Mach 5+. But the question is can those recon planes carry weapons? The fact is that. The SR-72 concept can reach Mach 6+. And it is planned to equip with an attack kit. The fact is also that the USAF is not the only air force that develops hypersonic missiles.
But we know that test plane X-43 reached the speed of Mach 9,6. And of course, those things cause discussions about what is kept secret in those projects? The X-51 WaveRider project along with DARPA "Project Falcon" or HTV (Hypersonic Technology Vehicle) tells, that there is made a lot of work with hypersonic cruise missiles and other hypersonic systems. The reusable hypersonic systems are more ambitious projects than some hypersonic missiles.
The second version uses hypersonic flight just to transport the system to the operational area. And the third way to use hypersonic systems is to make attacks by using hypersonic systems. The hypersonic aircraft can fly to the upper atmosphere and then launch a missile salvo against other aircraft. Or launch smart weapons against ground targets.
The hypersonic cargo systems can also jump out from the atmosphere and release satellites to the low orbiter. The same systems can also use to carry anti-satellite systems. And they can shoot Pegasus-type rockets from the upper atmosphere.
Those new hypersonic systems can be manned. Or they can be autonomous robots. Things like satellite carry missions don't require complicated artificial intelligence. The aircraft must just carry an air-launched rocket to the ballistic trajectory, where it can be launched. Even small-size systems can make those kinds of things. There is the possibility that multiple hypersonic accelerating units are connected to one bigger rocket.
The reusable hypersonic technology makes it possible to create a new type of extremely powerful kamikaze drone. Those next-generation cruise missiles can patrol autonomously. If they are not needed those systems can return to base. But when they get orders they will just attack any target in the world.
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-62218968
https://www.c4isrnet.com/battlefield-tech/2022/07/19/darpas-hypersonic-scramjet-missile-logs-another-flight-test-success/
https://www.c4isrnet.com/battlefield-tech/2022/07/19/hypersonic-missile-launches-off-marine-corps-truck-in-darpa-test/
https://www.defensenews.com/battlefield-tech/2022/07/19/darpas-hypersonic-scramjet-missile-logs-another-flight-test-success/
https://eurasiantimes.com/chinas-df-21d-df-26-anti-ship-ballistic-missiles-us-navy/
https://eurasiantimes.com/akin-to-chinas-df-26-russia-is-developing-hypersonic-ballistic-missile-that-can-cripple-us-super-carriers/
https://www.foxnews.com/tech/darpa-loses-hypersonic-vehicle-goes-from-320m-to-zero-in-2700-seconds
https://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/history/pastprojects/HyperX/index.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AGM-183_ARRW
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kh-47M2_Kinzhal
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_X-51_Waverider
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DARPA_Falcon_Project
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypersonic_Technology_Vehicle_2
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_Martin_SR-72
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA_X-43
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northrop_Grumman_Pegasus
Image 1)https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-62218968
Image 2:)https://www.c4isrnet.com/battlefield-tech/2022/07/19/darpas-hypersonic-scramjet-missile-logs-another-flight-test-success/
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