The Superpowers’ Hypersonic Arms Race
The latest global arms race has gone hypersonic. Capable of flying faster than 5000km/h without losing manoeuvrability and lower in the atmosphere than traditional ballistic missiles, hypersonic weapons will offer clear advantages in penetrating missile defences — once they’ve actually been perfected. Though still in development by nations around the world, once fully operational, the missiles are expected to be capable of destroying targets anywhere on the planet within an hour of getting data and permission to launch. The weapons will also lessen the timelines for a response by a nation under attack.