Russia claims to have deployed its Kinzhal (Dagger) hypersonic cruise missile to strike targets in Ukraine. Reportedly, this would be the first-ever use of such a missile in combat. Western analysts are calling the claims credible. But what does it all mean?
The word “hypersonic” sounds exotic, futuristic, almost sexy, as aerospace terms go. Scientifically, it means the part of the speed envelope beginning at five times the speed of sound, or Mach 5, and above. Hypersonic missiles, therefore, are capable of Mach 5 speeds or beyond, and generally include on-board guidance or the ability to maneuver, rather than following a fixed or “dumb” trajectory. The missiles are generally grouped as either hypersonic glide vehicles (HGVs) or hypersonic cruise missiles (HCMs).
The concepts aren’t new. Clarence “Kelly” Johnson advocated for HGVs in his 1989 autobiography, Kelly: More than My Share of It All. He explained that the velocity of hypersonic weapons will dramatically increase effectiveness while requiring a smaller package size or even rendering an explosive payload unnecessary altogether. It stands to reason that a missile capable of sustaining such high speeds is harder to hit with defense systems, too. Johnson’s Mach 3 interceptor, the Lockheed YF-12, made its first flight in 1963 and successfully demonstrated the Hughes Falcon air-to-air missile system (later adapted as the Mach 5-capable Phoenix for the Navy’s F-14 Tomcat). However, in his book, Johnson suggested that the YF-12 would have provided an excellent platform for HGV weapons, noting that they would have required propellant but very little explosive to be effective, thanks to the tremendous speed of delivery.
When taken in context of such research and development from the heart of the Jet Age nearly 60 years ago, Russia’s announcement that it has fired HCMs in anger seems less significant. Perhaps the propaganda value of the word “hypersonic” is the single largest reason for the announcement.
