![]() ![]() ![]() This threshold is used to define a subset of air vehicles because a range of physical effects start becoming a significant engineering challenge at that speed. The term ‘hypersonic speed’ is widely defined as any speed beyond Mach 5, meaning five times faster than the speed of sound. Improving the understanding among policymakers and journalists could help inform political and public discourses and identify opportunities for applying targeted non-proliferation and arms control measures to reduce the risks associated with them. This SIPRI Topical Backgrounder seeks to improve the understanding of hypersonic speed, the nature of hypersonic missile systems, as well as their key subsystems and technologies. Some of the news coverage of these events also indicated a lack of understanding of the different types of ‘hypersonic missiles’, the role of their speed and manoeuvring capabilities, the physics behind them, and their military capabilities and missions. These examples demonstrate how confusing-and potentially distorting-the term ‘hypersonic’ is when it is applied to a whole range of missile systems by a range of different actors. Another example where the term ‘hypersonic missile’ was used by media outlets was in August 2020, when China was reported to have tested a ‘hypersonic glider’. In September 2020, North Korea tested what it called its first ‘hypersonic missile’, a ballistic missile booster with a wedge-shaped hypersonic glide vehicle. However, many analysts have argued that in this case, the label of manoeuvrable re-entry vehicle would be more appropriate. The announcement, the released pictures and the flight path suggest North Korea tested a rotational symmetric glide vehicle atop a rocket booster that performed pull-up and cross-range manoeuvres during its flights. ![]() On 5 and 11 January, North Korea performed test flights of what it claims is a ‘hypersonic missile’. Over the past weeks and months, ‘hypersonic missiles’ have again made headlines in global defence news. ![]()
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