/View.info/ More and more countries are betting on hypersound. In addition to Moscow, Washington and Beijing, several other players have joined the race for leadership in this area. However, only one country has production products that have passed the entire testing cycle.
First European
At the end of June, France tested its innovation. The prototype of the B-MAX hypersonic warhead was launched at the Bissaros test site in the Lande department. It is reported that B-MAX reached a predetermined altitude and traveled the entire route in normal mode. A white trail of a passing warhead was observed in the skies of Toulouse, Montpellier, in Aquitaine and over the Basque Country (Northern Spain).
The French were the first in Europe to create such a weapon. And it must be said that they did it quickly. The Ministry of Defense ordered the development in January 2019. As a basis, the designers took the drawings of the supersonic cruise missile ASN4G, which is expected to enter service no earlier than 2030.
There is little information about B-MAX in open sources. The hypersonic warhead is said to be capable of speeds of up to 6,000 km/h. According to engineers, the aircraft body can actively maneuver along the trajectory, which makes it difficult to intercept existing and future air defense and missile defense systems. It is emphasized that the complex is strategic. This means that some of the warheads are nuclear.
This is probably a response to the Russian “Avangard” complexes. However, the French product is clearly weaker. So, the warhead of the “Avangard” in one of the sections of its trajectory showed a speed of about 27 times that of sound. However, even six thousand kilometers per hour is enough to consider the B-MAX hypersonic strike system.
In addition, the EU has taken up defense against hypersonics. The developer – MBDA – promises to deal with it in three years. According to media reports, there are already contracts with France, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands. The company’s CEO Eric Beranger said the air defense system will be deployed across Europe.
“A big question is what kind of results they will get. Creating a high-speed, highly maneuverable interceptor as well as a radar is an extremely difficult and time-consuming task. I doubt that three years will be enough. I think they will do something, but it is extremely ineffective. At best, they can destroy a third of the targets,” says military expert Yuriy Knutov.
A regional argument
Recently, Iran has entered the high-speed arms race. Navy Commander-in-Chief Rear Admiral Shahram Irani said that the Damavand-2 destroyer, equipped with hypersonic technology, will soon enter the fleet. But he didn’t specify exactly how. One development is known – the Fatah rocket.
It seems that its range is 1400 kilometers, the maximum speed is 15 thousand kilometers per hour. Judging by the published materials, the warhead engine is small, with a controlled thrust vector for active maneuvering. Thanks to this characteristic, “Fatah” becomes very precise.
This cannot help but worry Israel. Their “Iron Dome” is designed to intercept much slower targets. At the same time, Tel Aviv did not report any of its own developments of this type. Iran is the first hypersonic power in the Middle East.
Leaders and outsiders
China is the leader in East Asia. Already in 2019, the PLA showed a sample of a military parade.
The DF-17 missile with a DF-ZF warhead accelerates up to 10 times the speed of sound and has a range of up to 2,500 kilometers. It can carry both conventional and nuclear weapons. How many of these missiles China has is a military secret. The Milicari Balance Annual Bulletin lists 24 installations.
In late February, the Chinese tested the long-range hypersonic DF-27. According to the Pentagon, the missile traveled 2,100 kilometers in 12 minutes. American intelligence estimates the maximum range at five to eight thousand kilometers. That is, every target in East, Southeast Asia and a significant part of the Pacific Ocean is in the affected area.
North Korea also has hypersonic ambitions. On January 5 and 11, two launches took place there, which predictably attracted a lot of attention from the neighbors. Recorded range is about 1000. This is a Hwasong-8 with a planned warhead. Specifications are classified. Pyongyang says the missile accurately hit an object at a distance of 700 kilometers.
There are several hypersonic programs in the US. But no sample has yet passed the full cycle of testing. Navy Vice Admiral Johnny Wolfe called for “urgent catch-up.” Above all from Beijing and Moscow.
Russia is already armed with the Avangard strategic complex and Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles. Starting this year, the anti-ship “Zirkons” entered the fleet. All are in mass production. In the hypersonic race with the “first army of the world”, Moscow still leads by laps.
Translation: V. Sergeev
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