HYPersOnic Threat dEtection aNd coUntermeaSurEs
Hypersonic missile threats are considered a game-changing military technology. Specifically, hypersonic missiles can fly between approximately 5,000 and 25,000 km/hour, they fly at unusual altitudes of between tens-of-kilometres to in excess of 100 km, their manoeuvrability enables them to evade even
the most sophisticated layered missile defence infrastructures.
Their speed, unusual altitudes and manoeuvrability combine to render hypersonic missiles extremely elusive to detect and to intercept. A hypersonic strike would unfold more rapidly than a conventional strike and would significantly compress the timelines for an attacked party to respond. The purpose of this study is not
to analyse hypersonic missile developments per se, but rather to identify and study the state-of-the-art sensor and intercept (hardand soft-kill) technologies that constitute a robust Hypersonic Missile Defence (HMD) mechanism.
It is clear that no one sensor, or class of sensors, will be able to fully observe hypersonic threats throughout their various phases from launch, glide, cruise to impact. Rather a constellation or layer of technologies will need to be deployed that comprise different types of radar operating with IR sensors and associated intercept (hard- and soft-kill) measures. The layers of electronic sensors including different types of radar and IR sensors represent a stand-alone OODA-loop (Observe–Orient–Decide–Act). For example, the sensor-constellation “holistically” observes the threat, then the constellation Orientates sensing and/or intercept assets toward the threat corridor. All the while, the layer of sensors is providing data to enable the Decide and Act steps of the OODA-loop.