[News in War History] Why Old Nuclear Warheads Reaching Hypersonic Speeds Are Not Considered 'Hypersonic Weapons'

Hypersonic Weapons Must Be Intercept-Evasive
Nazi Germany's V-2 Rocket, First Hypersonic Breakthrough
US Hypersonic Weapons on a Different Level from China, North Korea, and Russia

Editor's Note[News in War History] is a content series created to provide multifaceted perspectives on war and conflict news from around the world as it unfolds moment by moment. Through 'News,' we first examine the current situation; through 'History,' we analyze the hidden meanings behind the news; and through 'Implication,' we offer insights into the near future. We will visit you every Sunday, and after 40 episodes, the series will also be published as a book.

One of the terms frequently encountered in recent international news is the 'Hypersonic Missile.' Following China and Russia, North Korea has also claimed to have deployed hypersonic missiles in actual combat, and the Russian military has announced the deployment of its hypersonic missiles on the Ukrainian battlefield, making these weapons known as terrifying threats to international peace.

Literally, hypersonic weapons refer to projectile weapons that fly at speeds exceeding five times the speed of sound, i.e., Mach 5 or higher, with the speed of sound being approximately 340 meters per second. However, since many countries already possess ballistic missiles, including older intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), which achieve hypersonic speeds during certain flight phases, each country interprets the exact meaning differently.

This conceptual confusion makes it difficult to gauge the level of hypersonic weapon capabilities of each country. This is also why the United States, the world's strongest military power, has stated that it is still developing hypersonic missiles, despite claims by China, Russia, and even North Korea of having deployed them in combat.

Training footage of the hypersonic missile 'Kinzhal' released by the Russian Ministry of Defense last February. [Image source=Russian Ministry of Defense]

The United States defines hypersonic weapons not merely as those flying at speeds above Mach 5, but as weapons equipped with evasion capabilities against enemy interceptor missiles such as missile defense systems (MD), capable of low-altitude flight anywhere on Earth within the atmosphere using their own engine thrust. True hypersonic missiles meeting all these conditions are said to still be under development not only by the U.S. but also by China and Russia.

Although the hypersonic missiles that China and Russia claim to have deployed are considered significant assets, how formidable are the hypersonic missiles that the U.S. is developing? In this article, we will explore the hypersonic weapons that are shaking the global security landscape.

◆News: U.S. Launches 10 Surveillance Satellites to Monitor China and Russia's Hypersonic Weapons

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

Let's first look at the related news. According to Space.com, a U.S. space-focused media outlet, on the 2nd (local time), the U.S. Space Development Agency (SDA) announced that it launched 10 small satellites simultaneously to establish a satellite system for monitoring hypersonic weapons from China, Russia, and others.

On that day, SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket carrying 10 hypersonic weapon surveillance satellites was launched from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, and the satellites reportedly successfully reached orbit. In a statement, the SDA said, "The first launch of 'Tranche 0,' which supports fighter jets with resilient network capabilities including advanced missile threat tracking in low Earth orbit, was successful."

After checks at an altitude of about 1,000 km in low Earth orbit, these satellites will support military exercises including advanced missile tracking tests starting this summer. Additionally, beyond the 10 satellites launched this time, 18 more satellites are planned for launch in June to build a powerful network.

The reason the U.S. is strengthening its hypersonic weapon monitoring system is reportedly due to China and Russia's recent successive demonstrations of hypersonic weapon capabilities. Russia has recently announced the use of the hypersonic missile 'Kinzhal' in the Ukraine war. Moreover, it has continuously showcased its strength by successfully test-firing hypersonic weapons at military bases near the Arctic region.

China also declared the deployment of its domestically developed hypersonic missile 'Dongfeng (DF)-17' in 2019, and in 2021 claimed successful test launches of hypersonic cruise missiles with a range exceeding 12,000 km. In February, China demonstrated hypersonic cruise missile capabilities flying at speeds above Mach 10, boasting that it could sink U.S. aircraft carriers.

◆History 1: 1944 Nazi Germany's V-2 Rocket, First to Break Hypersonic Speed

A model of the V-2 rocket displayed at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (NASM) in the United States. [Image source: U.S. National Air and Space Museum (NASM)]

The concept of 'hypersonic' first appeared in 1944 during World War II in Nazi Germany. According to the U.S. National Air and Space Museum (NASM), the V-2 rocket was developed by Dr. Wernher von Braun, the leading rocket scientist of the time. This rocket was the world's first ballistic missile, created by Nazi Germany to bomb London.

The missile ascended to an altitude of about 100 to 170 km before free-falling toward its target, accelerating to speeds exceeding Mach 5. At that time, the speed was so tremendous that it was difficult to detect, let alone intercept, with the aviation technology available, leaving the British forces helpless. Over 2,700 people died in London alone, and damage was widespread throughout the city.

After Nazi Germany's defeat, Dr. von Braun and the V-2 rocket research team surrendered to the U.S. military in Austria. Von Braun became a U.S. citizen in 1955 and gained fame as an American scientist. He later became the director of NASA, emerging as a key figure in the U.S. space program and missile development.

Conversely, the Soviet Union, which captured Berlin first near the end of World War II, failed to secure von Braun and his team but succeeded in obtaining the V-2 manufacturing plants and blueprints. Subsequently, both the U.S. and the Soviet Union embarked on developing ballistic missiles and atmospheric re-entry technology, which is the basis for ICBMs.

From the 1960s, ICBM technology was actively developed. ICBMs follow a parabolic trajectory, flying beyond the atmosphere to reach their peak altitude before descending to strike targets. During descent, they can reach speeds of Mach 20 to 30. However, if their trajectory is detected before reaching peak altitude, fast interceptor missiles can be launched to shoot them down, leading to the development of missile defense (MD) systems.

Accordingly, unlike traditional ballistic missiles, countries began developing hypersonic cruise missiles capable of evading interceptor missiles and major air defense systems through evasive maneuvers and low-altitude flight. These developments have evolved into today's hypersonic weapons.

◆History 2: Mach 5, Evasion, Low-Altitude Flight... Challenging Development Conditions

The Dongfeng (DF)-17 hypersonic missile, which China announced was deployed in 2019. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Modern hypersonic weapons are evaluated as true hypersonic weapons only if they meet three conditions: speeds above Mach 5, evasion capability, and low-altitude flight capability. The U.S. think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) defines the conditions for hypersonic weapons as "hypersonic flight speed, maneuverability, and sustained atmospheric flight."

There are two types of weapons that meet these criteria: hypersonic cruise missiles (HCM) and hypersonic glide vehicles (HGV). HCMs are missiles that, as the name suggests, use their own engine thrust to fly at speeds above Mach 5 to the target while evading interceptor missiles and flying at low altitudes. Currently, Russia's Zircon missile is known as the world's first operational HCM, but its combat capabilities remain undisclosed.

HGVs are configured by attaching a low-altitude capable cruise missile to the warhead section of a traditional ballistic missile. They are launched like ballistic missiles, then glide horizontally toward the target after free-falling and accelerating. However, since they are initially carried inside a ballistic missile, they can be intercepted during the early launch phase. Russia's Kinzhal missile is known as this type of hypersonic weapon.

These hypersonic missiles began serious development after the 2000s, and the U.S. military is currently focusing on developing HCMs. The U.S. is developing hypersonic missiles capable of striking anywhere on Earth within 30 minutes using a powerful supersonic combustion ramjet propulsion system.

◆Implication: Hypersonic Weapon Competition Expands to Air and Space

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

Once the hypersonic weapons being developed by the U.S. are fully realized, the global military security environment and even the concept of warfare itself are expected to change dramatically. There will no longer be a need to dispatch large aircraft carrier groups or consider deploying ground troops for local conflicts, as significant damage or deterrence against enemy forces will be possible.

Not only the U.S., but China and Russia are also pursuing the development of hypersonic weapons capable of global strikes, raising concerns that hypersonic weapon competition will intensify from the 2030s onward. Defense systems will need to be established not only on land, sea, and air but also in space to counter these weapons, accelerating the development of space security.

Consequently, competition among countries for military and intelligence satellites is expected to become fierce. With countries deploying hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of small satellites in low Earth orbit to form networked systems?such as the U.S. SpaceX's Starlink?the battle for satellite orbit control is also expected to intensify.