Document
*NOTA: Las ideas contenidas en los Documentos de Opinión son de responsabilidad de sus autores, sin
que reflejen, necesariamente, el pensamiento del IEEE o del Ministerio de Defensa.
Documento de Opinión 98/2018 1
98/2018 September 27, 2018
Debalina Ghoshal*
Hypersonic Weapons: The new age
weapon system
Hypersonic Weapons: The new age weapon system
Abstract:
Speed has become a crucial factor in ensuring both conventional as well as nuclear
deterrence. Today with sophistication in missile defence systems, ballistic and cruise
missiles need to be high speed weapon systems to be able to evade enemy missile
defence systems and deliver warheads at the target accurately. High speed weapon
systems can render missile defence system useless and it is usually difficult to intercept
supersonic and hypersonic cruise missile technology.
Missile defence systems have only increased the arms race with states developing
more sophisticated weapon systems that can render the missile defence system null
and void. While ballistic missile defence (BMD) has become a deterrent against ballistic
missiles, states have also started to develop hypersonic technology vehicles that can be
mounted atop ballistic missiles to negate the deterrent capability of the BMDs.
Hypersonic weapons can become strategically destabilising if states start to develop the
same. This is more so true in case the weapon system is fitted with nuclear warheads
as is the case with China and Russia.
While the ideal solution is to ban the weapon systems, such a solution is only utopian in
nature. Hence, states should not nuclearize their hypersonic weapon systems if they are
to maintain strategic stability.
Keywords:
Hypersonic speed, nuclear deterrence, missile defence, counter measure, time
sensitive.
