5 ms·
May be, but I don't understand the obsession regarding hypersonic missiles. There are dozens of other surprise attack weapons to knockout a superpower level en
by baybal2 5y ago
May be, but I don't understand the obsession regarding hypersonic missiles.
There are dozens of other surprise attack weapons to knockout a superpower level enemy to select from. Hypersonic weapons are just few of them.
It's more of a psychological weapon as ICBMs are. As in most cases, a new wunderwaffe will lose out to oldschool war tricks.
- sudosysgen 5y agoReally not. Hypersonic missiles are a game changer because, without any risk of escalation, they are un-interceptable and can hit very important and high value assets very fast without requiring survivable targeting platforms.
- baybal2 5y agoIf somebody takes out the GHQ of a superpower tomorrow with this, that is certainly "very escalateable," but unlike other options it still requires conventional follow up to deliver defeat, and keep the enemy occupied in immediate aftermath. And it surely lacks the intimidation factor of a massive nuclear ballistic missile attack. No amount of surgical strikes will be enough to behead a well trained military of a superpower, unless somebody on the ground goes, and routes them after the initial strike, preventing the enemy chain of command from recovering. Tanks, and troops on the ground will still be needed to capture enemy's capital, and surround, and immobilise major enemy concentrations.
- sudosysgen 5y agoNo one is trying to invade a superpower. Certainly not China. The point of hypersonic missiles is to paralyze the force projection abilities of an exceptionally powerful military. For that striking only 30-40 very high value targets is enough.