Francis G. Mahon & Punch Moulton
Hypersonic missiles, capable of traveling at speeds in excess of Mach 5, will alter warfare’s strategic and operational environments in the 21st century. They are the technology that will drive and shape future near-peer or large-scale combat operations. Nations that possess hypersonic missiles will have a decisive advantage.
For the U.S., hypersonic missiles will provide Combatant Commanders with a responsive, precise, long-range strike capability—an invaluable capability which cannot be achieved today without placing a manned aircraft at risk. American-owned hypersonic missiles present a complementary capability that extends the limited reach of today’s strike or fires capabilities. They provide strategic reach, a new offensive layer that reduces sanctuary and redefines deep fires. The lessons of Ukraine affirm this need.
Time-sensitive targets—those fleeting, high-value, and high-payoff targets, which are often beyond the reach or responsiveness of today’s strike capabilities—will now be at risk of being rapidly targeted by hypersonic missiles. A hypersonic missile’s speed, coupled with a dynamic targeting process, will allow rapid response and effective fires to be placed on an adversary’s command and control systems or fleeting weapon systems.
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