Re:U.S. Air Force says it conducted successful hypersonic we...
by adrian_b on Tuesday May 17, 2022 @03:18PM
(#31415185)
When close to the ground, something flying at Mach 10-20 would either be deccelerated very quickly to much lower speeds, if flying passively, or require a very large mass of fuel to maintain the speed.
Moreover, it would be hard to avoid being partially vaporized before reaching the target. So hitting something at Mach 10-20 seems much more difficult than filling the missile with explosives and detonating it.
Weapons based on kinetic energy alone seem practical only against satellites or against targets that fly in the upper atmosphere.
Moreover, it would be hard to avoid being partially vaporized before reaching the target. So hitting something at Mach 10-20 seems much more difficult than filling the missile with explosives and detonating it.
Weapons based on kinetic energy alone seem practical only against satellites or against targets that fly in the upper atmosphere.