9 ms·

ICBMs have been around since 1960's. They travel at Mach 20+. Nothing really changed. MAD doctrine is still in play.

• kstenerud 7y ago
  They can only reach that speed during boost (3-5 mins) and reentry (2 mins). The remainder of the time (25 mins or so of suborbital flight) is very detectable. The issue with hypersonic weapons is that they can fly low enough to be undetectable, and fast enough to reach their target before anyone knows what happened. That's enough to make any nation feel insecure and vulnerable and trigger happy.
  • bufferoverflow 7y ago
    We've had submarine nukes for a while too, they aren't really detectable until it's too late. They can also be blown up off shore to cause a megatsunami and wipe out the whole city.
    • AQuick 7y ago
      Just the idea that there are people who spend months underwater just in case they need to help facilitate the end of the world gives me chills.
      • zaroth 7y ago
        Or you could think of it as people spending months underwater so no one will be stupid enough to try to end the world.