Expert: Hypersoniska vapen ett sätt att spänna muskler

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