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Hypersonic glide vehicle

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A hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) is a type of warhead for ballistic missiles that can maneuver and glide at hypersonic speed. It is used in conjunction with ballistic missiles to significantly change their trajectories after launch. Conventional ballistic missiles follow a predictable ballistic trajectory and are vulnerable to interception by the latest anti-ballistic missile (ABM) systems. The in-flight maneuverability of HGVs makes them unpredictable, allowing them to effectively evade air defenses.[1][2][3] As of 2022, hypersonic glide vehicles are the subject of an arms race.[4]

Projects

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 China

Chinese DF-ZF hypersonic glide vehicle mounted on the DF-17 ballistic missile.
  • DF-ZF (developed and deployed) / Mach 5–10[5]
  • GDF-600 (concept) In addition to a unified payload the Guangdong Aerodynamic Research Academy claims to be exploring fitting the conceptual weapon with various submunitions including what it calls a patrol projectile.[6]
  • DF-27 (developed and deployed) / >Mach 8.6[7]

 France

  • VERAS (program launched in 1965 and cancelled in 1971)
  • VMaX (first flight test took place on June 26, 2023 from the DGA's site in Biscarrosse and was successful)[8][9][10][11][12]
  • VMaX-2 (under development; first flight test expected in 2024 or 2025)[13]

 India

  • HGV-202F (under development)[14]
  • LRAShM (testing phase)
  • BM-04 (under development)

 Iran

 Japan

 North Korea

There have also been reports of other hypersonic glide vehicle being mounted on the other ballistic missiles.[22][23]

 Russia

Launch of the UR-100UTTKh ICBM, carrying the Avangard HGV, from Dombarovsky Air Base

 US

American Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon being deployed at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station

Countermeasures

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Boost-glide weapons are generally designed to avoid existing missile defense systems, either by continually maneuvering or by flying at lower altitudes to reduce warning time. This generally makes such weapons easier to intercept using defensive systems intended for lower-altitude "low-tier" targets. Flying at lower speeds than short-range ballistic missile warheads makes them easier to attack.[25] Those that approach with very low terminal attack profiles are even subject to attack by modern hypervelocity guns and railguns.[26]

Hypersonics, like the Avangard HGV, generally use scramjet engines to achieve hypersonic speeds. Scramjet engines function only when the glide vehicle reaches mach 4.5. These engines are disengaged as the HGV enters the terminal phase of its flight. Failure to deactivate the engines would cause a catastrophic build up of heat in the vehicle as the atmosphere becomes denser during reentry, prematurely destroying the vehicle. Therefore, the terminal phase of an HGV's re-entry is similar to that of a multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle. For instance, the Avangard would not hit its target while "zig-zagging" at Mach 27, but rather would impact at a velocity under Mach 4 and on a linear trajectory.[citation needed] The superior evasion capabilities that HGVs employ are largely limited to the upper atmospheric flight span.[27][28][29]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Zastrow, Mark (4 November 2021). "How does China's hypersonic glide vehicle work?". Astronomy.com. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  2. ^ "U.S. vs. China: The Race to Build Hypersonic Missiles", WSJ, retrieved 17 November 2022 – via Google You tube
  3. ^ "From Sänger to Avangard – hypersonic weapons come of age". Royal Aeronautical Society. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  4. ^ "'National pride is at stake.' Russia, China, United States race to build hypersonic weapons". Science.org. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  5. ^ Gady, Franz-Stefan (28 April 2016). "China Tests New Weapon Capable of Breaching US Missile Defense Systems". The Diplomat. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
  6. ^ Trevithick, Joseph (11 November 2024). "Chinese Hypersonic Boost-Glide Vehicle Concept That Launches Its Own Weapons Emerges". The War Zone. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  7. ^ "DF-27 Missile System". China-Arms. 21 June 2024. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
  8. ^ "France debuts hypersonic glide weapon in first VMaX test flight". Air force tech. 28 June 2023.
  9. ^ "France Conducts First VMaX Hypersonic Glide Vehicle Test". Naval news. 27 June 2023.
  10. ^ "France conducts first test firing of V-MAX hypersonic glider demonstrator". Aero time. 27 June 2023.
  11. ^ "La France a testé le planeur hypersonique VMAX d'Ariane Group". Ouest France (in French). 27 June 2023.
  12. ^ "Armées : la France a testé pour la première fois un planeur hypervéloce, capable de voler à plus de Mach 5". Le figaro (in French). 27 June 2023.
  13. ^ "Le ministère des Armées va financer un second démonstrateur de planeur hypersonique, le VMaX-2". Opex 360 (in French). 4 May 2023.
  14. ^ "Is India developing a Hypersonic Glide Vehicle?". Ajay Lele. IDSA. 24 June 2022. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  15. ^ "Iran unveils 'Fattah 2' hypersonic missile". en.irna.ir. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  16. ^ Tiwari, Sakshi (20 November 2023). "4th Country With Hypersonic Tech, Expert Calls Iran's Fattah-2 As Uninterceptable Cruise Missile Ideal For Preemptive Strikes". Latest Asian, Middle-East, EurAsian, Indian News. Retrieved 4 March 2024. According to Iranian official media, Fattah-2 is a hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV). Compared to a ballistic warhead that travels in a more foreseeable arc, an HGV offers significantly greater mobility as it glides to its target after initial launch.
  17. ^ "Japan unveils its hypersonic weapons plans". Yahoo.
  18. ^ "Hwasong 8 Ballistic Missile with a Hypersonic Glide Vehicle | MilitaryToday.com". www.militarytoday.com. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  19. ^ "Kim Jong-un unveils two new North Korea combat drones resembling US's Reaper and Global Hawk". The Independent. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
  20. ^ "North Korean nuclear weapons, 2024" (PDF). Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
  21. ^ Zwirko, Colin (2 April 2024). "North Korea says Kim Jong Un led test of new 'Hwasong-16B' hypersonic missile". NK News. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  22. ^ "Does North Korea have a real Hypersonic Glide Vehicle (HGV)". www.b14643.de. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  23. ^ Lendon, Yoonjung Seo, Brad (10 January 2022). "Suspected North Korea missile test hit speed of Mach 10, more advanced than previous test, Seoul says". CNN. Retrieved 3 April 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  24. ^ "Avangard", Missile Threat, CSIS.
  25. ^ "Introducing The Ballistic Missile Defense Ship". Aviation Week. 11 April 2014. Retrieved 29 December 2019. The downside is when the [HGV] warhead nears its target, it has less speed and altitude and is therefore more easily intercepted by low-tier interceptors, including potential rail guns.
  26. ^ Tadjdeh, Yasmin (26 January 2018). "Secretive Pentagon Office Shares Details About Hypervelocity Missile Defense Weapon". National Defense.
  27. ^ Kunertova, Dominika. "Hypersonic Weapons: Fast, Furious… and Futile?". RUSI. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  28. ^ Brockmann, Kolja. "A matter of speed? Understanding hypersonic missile systems". Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. SIPRI. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  29. ^ Wright, David. "The Physics and Hype of Hypersonic Weapons". The Scientific American. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
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