Hypersonic Weapons

Explanation :

• Hypersonic weapons refer to weapons that travel faster than Mach 5 and have the capability to maneuver during the entire flight.
• Hypersonic weapons incorporate the speed of a ballistic missile with the maneuvering capabilities of a cruise missile.
• These missiles are capable of delivering conventional or nuclear payloads at ultra-high velocities over long ranges.
• Hypersonic missiles are delivered in two ways: (1) they can be fired from the last stages of Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM) or Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missiles (SLBM) and skip along the top of the atmosphere using specialized jet engines to accelerate to hypersonic speeds; or (2) they can be launched independently or released from a bomber—similar to cruise missiles—before accelerating to ultra-high speeds.
• Hypersonic vehicles typically consist of a Supersonic Combustion Ramjet, or Scramjet propulsion system to enable such high speeds.