Hypersonic missiles might not be valuable for the United States in the future.
(Photo : Photo by Scott Nelson/Getty Images)
A U.S. Army 3rd Infantry Division, 1st Battallion, 39th Field Artillery Regiment (1-39) Bravo Battery Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) vehicle fires a M28A1 practice rocket during exercises February 13, 2003 near the Iraqi border in northern Kuwait. The MLRS is used to target enemy air defenses and command and control sites from a distance of over 30 kilometers away.
This was revealed by the latest report of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).
For the past years, hypersonic missiles have served the U.S. government in defending the country.
However, experts are now doubting the value of these defense missiles because of their tactical uses and unsolved technological challenges.
Hypersonic Missiles No Longer Worth It?
According to the National Defense's latest report, hypersonic missiles are used against anti-access and area-denial systems used by Russia, China, and other adversaries.
(Photo : Photo by South Korean Defense Ministry via Getty Images)
In this handout photo released by the South Korean Defense Ministry, South Korea's Hyunmu-2 ballistic missile is fired during an exercise aimed to counter North Korea's nuclear test on September 4, 2017 in East Coast, South Korea. South Korea's military said Monday it conducted a combined live-fire exercise in response to North Korea's sixth nuclear test a day earlier.
Also Read: NASA Teams Up with Pentagon's DARPA to Build an Advanced Nuclear Thermal Rocket
They could be launched outside the range of the mentioned systems. Since they have hypersonic speeds, they can reach targets in just a few minutes.
However, CBO revealed one issue with these super-fast missiles. Traveling faster than Mach 5 leads to one fundamental technological challenge, which is heat management.
Aside from this major issue, the new CBO report also revealed that scenarios, where hypersonic missiles are more useful than ballistic missiles, are limited.
This means that ballistic missiles are almost as effective as hypersonic missiles.
When it comes to costs, CBO claimed that hypersonic missiles are around one-third more expensive than ballistic missiles.
US Still Investing in Hypersonic Missiles
As of press time, the U.S. government is still investing in the development of hypersonic weapons.
One of these is the new scramjet-powered HAWC (Hypersonic Airbreathing Weapon Concept) missile.
Popular Mechanics reported that the U.S. Air Force successfully completed the final test for the new HAWC.
The data acquired from the final test is expected to influence the U.S. government's future hypersonic missile efforts.
You can click here to learn what happened during the experiment.
Other stories we previously wrote about defense:
Recently, sources claimed that a new high-energy laser beam, which can enhance drones' flight capabilities, is being developed by China.
We also reported that Israel launched its new Point Blank drone, which can be retrieved after destroying its target.
For more news updates about missiles and other defense techs, keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.
