The Hypersonic Defense Imperative: Confronting the Most Disruptive Missile Threat of the 21st Century

Introduction: Defending Against Speed, Maneuver, and Surprise The character of missile warfare is undergoing its most disruptive transformation since the advent of intercontinental ballistic missiles. Hypersonic weapons—capable of sustained flight at speeds exceeding Mach 5 while maneuvering unpredictably within the atmosphere—are collapsing the traditional assumptions that have underpinned missile defense for decades. Warning times are…