Hypercone projectile advances hypersonic research
Example of a USN railgun. (Photo: ONR/John Williams)
A hypersonic projectile reached a distance of 109nmi in recent test firings in the US, as research continues for defensive and offensive applications.
The US is continuing efforts to close its perceived gap with Russia on hypersonic missile technologies, with two recent firings of the Hypercone projectile.
‘Hypersonics are a hot topic, no pun intended. It is the speed at which battle will be fought,’ Adam Jones, head of the advanced hypersonic weapons and guided munitions division at the Naval Surface Weapons Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD), said on 6 April during a briefing at the 2022 Navy League meeting in Washington DC.
The USN FY2023 budget proposal, released in March 2022, includes $1.4 billion in developing and deploying hypersonic weapons via programmes such
Our news & analysis is now part of Defence Insight®
A Basic-level or higher Defence Insight subscription is now required to view this content.
More from Defence Notes
-
![UK urged to prioritise sea, air and space over heavy armour]()
UK urged to prioritise sea, air and space over heavy armour
A report from the Council on Geostrategy argues the UK should move away from a traditional balanced force and shift investment to naval, air and space capabilities, backed by a larger fleet of attack submarines and deeper AUKUS integration.
-
![Thales: deployment speed to determine winners in ‘production versus production’ era]()
Thales: deployment speed to determine winners in ‘production versus production’ era
At its technology summit in London, attended by Shephard, Thales UK examined the importance of speed to delivery, the growing focus on cross-domain capabilities and how procurement reform could be crucial for future battlefield advantage.
-
![Orchestrating operational readiness across every defence domain]()
Orchestrating operational readiness across every defence domain
Are all systems ready for the next mission? Have upgrades been applied? Are all assets aligned to deploy together, on time and fully prepared? In modern defence operations, readiness is no longer measured platform by platform. It is measured by how well people, assets, data and decisions move together — across land, sea and air.
