Recent hypersonic missile tests by North Korea and China have highlighted the challenge of coming up with effective defenses against the advanced weapons, as well as the difficulties the U.S. has had in developing its own hypersonic-missile program. Here’s a guide to hypersonic missiles.
What are hypersonic missiles?
“Hypersonic” means more than five times the speed of sound, or just over a mile a second. But in common military terminology, not every missile traveling at hypersonic speed is called a hypersonic missile. The term is generally reserved for missiles that can be maneuvered before hitting their target and don’t follow a simple, straight course.
