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Science & Tech Spotlight: Hypersonic Weapons

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Report Type Reports and Testimonies
Report Date Sept. 16, 2019
Release Date Sept. 16, 2019
Report No. GAO-19-705SP
Summary:

Hypersonic weapons are expected to:

Fly at least 3,800 mph (about 5 times the speed of sound)

Fly at lower altitudes than ballistic missiles

Be highly maneuverable

Be able to change targets during flight

Be extremely difficult to defend against

Key technologies for these weapons remain under development. Policy considerations include whether the goals for hypersonic weapons are realistic, as well as the implications of their proliferation.

An artist’s rendering of the experimental X-51A Waverider, which used a “scramjet” to reach hypersonic speeds.

Illustration of an experimental jet flying through a dark sky

Illustration of an experimental jet flying through a dark sky

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