Hypersonic Missiles used by Russia on ‘Kyiv’

Context

According to the military administration of Ukraine, Russia has used five of its new hypersonic Zircon missiles to attack Kyiv since the start of the year.

Hypersonic weapon

• They are commonly defined as fast, low-flying, and highly manoeuvrable weapons designed to be quick and agile for conventional missile defence systems to detect in time.
• Unlike ballistic missiles, hypersonic weapons don’t comply with a predetermined, arched trajectory and can manoeuvre on the way to their destination.
• The term hypersonic describes any speed faster than 5 times that of sound, that is roughly 760 miles (1,220 km) per hour at sea level.
  • On the other hand, a supersonic missile travels at the speed between Mach 1 and Mach 5.
• At hypersonic speeds, the air molecules around the flight vehicle start to change, breaking apart or gaining a charge in a process called ionization.
• This topics the hypersonic missiles to remarkable stresses as it pushes by the atmosphere.

Types of hypersonic weapons

• There are two main types of those weapons – glide vehicles and cruise missiles.
• Glide missiles are launched from a rocket before gliding to their targets. This is due to  the challenges of accomplishing hypersonic propulsion of missiles.
• The missiles have engines known as scramjets that use the air’s oxygen and produce thrust in the course of their flight, allowing them to cruise at a constant speed and altitude.

Countries having hypersonic weapons

• US, China and Russia have the most superior skills.
• Several other countries are testing the technology, such as India, Japan, Australia, France.
• North Korea claims to have tested a hypersonic missile.

India and hypersonic weapon

• India is closing in on having such weapons in its arsenal.
• In 2020, India successfully tested its hypersonic technology demonstrator vehicle (HSTDV), powered by a scramjet engine.
• The HSTDV will function as a crucial building block in the development of long-range hypersonic weapons, to be able to take some other 4 to 5 years to become a reality.

Kinzhal

• Kinzhal is an air-launched hypersonic missile with a mentioned range of 1,500-2,000km.
• This missile can fly at 10 times the speed of sound and can overcome air-defence systems.
  • Following launch, the Kinzhal swiftly quickens to Mach 4 (4,900 km/h), and can reach hastens to Mach 10 (12,350 km/h).
  • The speed of the missile, combined with its erratic flight trajectory and excessive manoeuvrability, could complicate interception.
• It can carry a nuclear payload of 480 kg. This is 33 times the yield of the Fat Man bomb dropped on Hiroshima.

Zircon

• According to Russia, the sea-based Zircon missiles have a range of 1,000 km and travel at 9 times the speed of sound.
• If Russia’s claims are real, the Zircon missile should prevent the advanced US Patriot air defence system.
• This is due to the fact, hypersonic pace can substantially lessen response time for air defences.
• Basically, Zircon is a hypersonic cruise missile that is powered by a scramjet engine.
• Scramjet engine uses the drift of air at supersonic speeds, compressed by the ahead motion of the missile, to force it ahead.
• It reportedly includes a 300kilogram warhead.

Source: The Hindu

UPSC Mains Practice Question

Q.What are Hypersonic Missiles? Discuss their significance and the challenges in their adoption and use.(150 words)

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