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They are slower than ballistic missiles, but fly more unpredictably. Ballistic missiles fly a parabolic trajectory and therefore an intercept can be calculated,
by pageandrew 5y ago
They are slower than ballistic missiles, but fly more unpredictably. Ballistic missiles fly a parabolic trajectory and therefore an intercept can be calculated, whereas hypersonic missiles fly in the atmosphere at high speeds and can change their direction
- JumpCrisscross 5y ago> but fly more unpredictably Ballistics cruise quietly. An RCS impulse can covertly re-aim it. Hypersonics scream bloody murder their whole flight path. Every satellite over the horizon will see it. Hypersonic manoeuvres are, moreover, expensive. You have to deflect a lot of molecules to make small changes. That costs you in speed, fuel and time to arrival. If you need to maintain scram airspeed, your options are seriously limited. This weapon has a place on the battlefield. But it’s not a strategic element.