To quote the MDAA: “Hypersonic weapons incorporate the speed of a ballistic missile with the maneuvering capabilities of a cruise missile. Hypersonic weapons refer to weapons that travel faster than Mach 5 (~3,800mph) and have the capability to maneuver during the entire flight. As a pentagon report stated, “While the designed speed of the hypersonic missile is faster than that of sound, its advantage lies in its enhanced maneuverability and smooth flight path, which is much harder to track than that of traditional missiles.”
Hypersonic missile testing in will be underway at a Northern Fleet naval range in Russia, as quoted by a source in the country’s Northwestern Federal District’s defense circles. Speeds of this missile are said to achieve speeds up to Mach 9.
