Hypersonic Weapons

Hypersonic weapons are weapons that move at speeds of Mach 5 or more. Presently, hypersonic weapon technology is a work in progress and these weapons are yet to become fully operational for military deployment. However, a few states have already conducted multiple tests of these weapons and the results are encouraging. They are being regarded as “game-changing” weapons, and successful hypersonic defence is considered to be difficult to achieve. At the same time, hypersonic weapons are also seen as destabilising weapons and there is a view that such weapons could fuel an arms race. This paper debates various aspects of hypersonic weapons.

Group Captain Ajey Lele (Retd), is a Senior Fellow at the Institute for defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA). His specific areas of research include Strategic Technologies and issues related to Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). He has contributed articles to various national and international journals, websites and newspapers.