Hypersonic or just hype? Assessing the Russian hypersonic weapons program

Abstract

Russian officials have spoken openly about their hypersonic weapons, touting them as the cornerstone of a new A2AD strategy. Questions remain, however, about the progress they have made in terms of “weaponizing” hypersonic technology. To assess the Russian hypersonic program, and the immediate threat its poses to U.S. Naval forces, the article describes the characteristics of hypersonic bodies. It then surveys the major systems under development by the Russians and the progress made in fielding those systems. It identifies limitations of the hypersonic systems show cased by Moscow and the possible motivations behind the Kremlin’s openness about their development.