Hypersonic weapon

Hypersonic weapons are missiles and projectiles which travel at between 5 and 25 times the speed of sound – about 1 to 5 miles per second (1.6 to 8 kilometres per second).[1]

An Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon (Arrow) carried by a B-52 bomber

Below such speeds, weapons would be characterized as subsonic or supersonic, while above such speeds, the molecules of the atmosphere disassociate into a plasma which makes control and communication difficult. Directed-energy weapons such as lasers may operate at higher speeds but are considered a different class of weaponry.

There are currently three main types of hypersonic weapon:[1]

1. boost-glide missiles which descend through the atmosphere at high speeds after an initial launch phase – a hypersonic glide vehicle
2. aircraft and missiles which use air-breathing engines such as scramjets to reach high speeds
3. guns which fire hypervelocity projectiles. These may be developments of traditional artillery or novel technologies such as railguns.