I agree. I remember following the creation of VR back when it was Cyberspace. It took at least 25 years to reach the home user.
Dragonfire on UK warships
- Thread starter Jack_green
- Start date
Soldato
Technically we do with the RN operated Trident SRBM and we've had hypersonics since 1959 with RAF operated Thor IRBM's and 1968 with RN fired Polaris SRBM's. However thats just being pernickety and I know what you meant and yes, we don't have what is now commonly referred to in the media as "Hypersonic" missiles i.e. glide vehicles or manoeuvrable with the atmosphere to hit a moving target (ship etc).
Caporegime
Hypersonics are showy but pretty ineffective from what I've seen, they couldn't penetrate a Patriot battery which was rather embarrassing.
GMLRS however has had a pretty magnificent showing on the battlefield, Stormshadow/SCALP tool out some nice high profile targets too.
Could get Trump his mate to give him a call?If we ask nicely, maybe Vlad will give us the plans
* I jest, please dont rage at me
I think the whole manoeuvrable hypersonic re entry vehicle has yet to be really proven by anyone other than Chinese/Russia/Iran/NK propaganda claims.
Soldato
Yay more ways to fight political world power wars
This will be mainly for drone swarms. Hypersonic missiles are a lot more expensive so the cost/efficiency is reversed against defences.
Hypersonic missiles aren't all Russia makes them out to be either. Loads have been shot down in Ukraine by regular patriots. It's the small and slow moving, stealthy stuff which is most dangerous. Fast moving objects are obvious on radar and there is still plenty of time to get something in it's path.
Ukraine has been using old civilian aircraft to take out targets in Russia, they went right through their defences unseen.
Hypersonic missiles aren't all Russia makes them out to be either. Loads have been shot down in Ukraine by regular patriots. It's the small and slow moving, stealthy stuff which is most dangerous. Fast moving objects are obvious on radar and there is still plenty of time to get something in it's path.
Ukraine has been using old civilian aircraft to take out targets in Russia, they went right through their defences unseen.
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Welcome to the human race ?
Where some people are very naughty and would like what's yours one way or another.
Also, it's a defensive weapon...
Soldato
Sure yes, "defensive weapon" I'm sure that's never been used in any other way... but hey
One of the complications I believe still hasn't really been overcome is the plasma build up on leading edges, disrupting sensors and communications aside from rear beaming - resulting in having to slow down significantly for any kind of target acquisition, etc. and I'm fairly confident no one has reliable working versions at anything like the headline speeds - all Russian successful tests are around half the headline speeds which is still fairly impressive to be fair but far from the hype. Also they rarely do hypersonic speeds through the whole flight path - some will accelerate in the terminal phase, others actually slow down for the terminal phase depending on the purpose of the missile.
Where they are actually at their most potent is if you fire a whole load at a country as with the limited time to react and uncertainty as to destination it makes intercepting them a nightmare unless you happen to have a high end complex located at the target. Which is one of the reasons they aren't as high a risk against ships (as long as the ship is accompanied by or is a air defence destroyer or has similar equipment onboard) as some make out as while the short time to respond is a difficulty you don't have to chase the missile down to intercept it and even with their speed a ship manoeuvring can cover some distance in the time between missile launch and reaching the target requiring the missile to use its sensors to stay on or reacquire the intended target which as things stand means it needs to slow down.
EDIT: Also in terms of ships you need to have a location for the ship in the first place, or use a missile which can itself locate a target profile (which comes back to the plasma problem), and aside from real time satellite location a fleet in a real war situation won't be letting hostile stuff get close enough for that and/or employing jamming, etc. to reduce the possibility of a hostile actor doing so, and if you can overcome that you probably don't need a hypersonic missile to do some damage.
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Soldato
Goes to find my copy of Jeff Waynes 'War of the Worlds'.
Best we don't develop weapons that could save our soldiers huh.
I mean, poor Putin/Xi /Kim and the poor mullahs only want to hug and kiss us poor people in the west....
I'd be more concerned about the enemy within, our own corrupt government and politicians who have no problem whatsoever smothering British citizens to death while they sleep. If you want proof you should invite midazolam Matt Hancock around for a sleep over.
