Hypersonic weapons of Russia

As the technology of new weapons improves, the issue of reviewing military deterrence measures becomes more urgent. The first development of hypersonic weapons is actively tested by China, the United States and England, which forces Russia to join in this arms race, and not without success. Domestic designers work in two main areas, considering not only the offensive potential that hypersonic weapons possess, but also defensive weapons. Serial production of models of this type in advanced countries is likely to be possible in about 10 years, but it is already known that the last generation of missile defense can not withstand such a threat.

Features of hypersonic weapons

The tasks that are put before the hypersonic weapons were previously assigned to cruise missiles based in the air. The tests of prototypes of GO show that the arsenal of the new generation is an order of magnitude higher than all available analogs due to high speed. At the same time, hypersonic weapons have an increased accuracy and effectiveness of destruction. In practice, this means that the interception of the missile by today's air defense capability is impossible or at least difficult.

Proceeding from the indicated advantages, it can be argued that the effect of surprise is also created - the destruction of the goal occurs about an hour after the decision is made. In any case, such characteristics are possessed by the advanced Russian hypersonic weapon, which does not allow the enemy to have time to prepare to repel the strike. If we talk about the range of damage, then at the moment it is limited to several thousand kilometers, but in the near future it is possible to reach the facility anywhere in the world.

Hypersonic cannon

One of the most promising developments in Russia in this class is aerodynamic hypersonic weapons - an electromagnetic cannon (or catapult). This is a large-scale project of a launch aircraft installation, which is being created by a secret organization. Nevertheless, it is known that an electromagnetic gun is nothing more than an induction linear motor that accelerates airplanes to incredible speeds. It is assumed that the catapult will be installed on a special aircraft carrier with a displacement of about 80 thousand tons, the construction of which will be completed in 2018.

To date, there are prototypes of similar weapons in China and the United States. Regarding the Celestial, this data has not yet been confirmed, but the Pentagon has been developing this direction for about 10 years and now has an EMALS installation for the Gerald Ford aircraft carriers.

Hypersonic rockets

For the first time, the need to use ultra-high velocities on warheads was mentioned in the USSR when attempts were made to supplement the ballistic missile with winged supersonic charges instead of nuclear ones. The continuation of this concept is the newest hypersonic weapons of Russia in the form of a hypersonic aircraft (GLA). In addition to an unprecedented speed (over 5 thousand m / s), the system is able to change the trajectory - it is the nonclassical flight model that made the vehicle unique. GLA is able to enter space and return to the atmosphere during the movement, which is inconceivable even for modern missiles.

However, the US does not ignore such developments. Another thing is that according to characteristics and power potential they are much inferior to domestic systems. Currently, the US has hypersonic weapons of this class in several forms, among which are prototypes Hyper-X and HySTR. Since the development is secret, information about them is small, but it is known that some of them are created on the platform of ballistic missiles of strategic weapons, which have already been withdrawn from production.

Remedies

On the one hand, almost all the countries leading the development in the direction of hypersonic weapons aimed to ensure security from modern air defense. But on the other hand, there was also quite obvious need for protection from similar enemy systems, because existing defensive systems are useless before missiles flying at ultra-high speeds.

A promising direction in creating protection for the new generation are aerospace defense systems - at this time only they can be countered with the capabilities that hypersonic weapons have. In this respect, the Russian Federation has more experience, as evidenced by prototypes of thermobaric and electromagnetic weapons. Despite this, there are no ready samples or even concepts, according to which one could speak about reliable protection against hypersonic weapons. The only development that can theoretically provide a defensive function from the ground is the S-500 surface-to-air missile system, the appearance of which is only expected.

Affecting effect

Although many compare the strength of the defeat of hypersonic weapons with the fall of a meteorite (largely due to the speed of the charge), warheads do not have explosive substances, so detonation of the ammunition does not threaten the enemy object. And yet, hypersonic weapons are a serious danger. The power potential, which is given to a conventional metal shell weighing about 20 kg, during the launching acquires incredible kinetic energy. This is facilitated by an electrical impulse, which increases as the warhead passes between the two rails of the launcher. Huge amounts of energy for the start-up power of the warhead and further removal of heat from the barrel of the gun are what provides the damaging ability of hypersonic weapons.

Engines for hypersonic devices

The basis on which the most promising hypersonic weapons of Russia is being developed, are still jet engines for the new generation aircraft . There are rocket-direct flow, turbo-straight and direct-flow power plants, which allow you to reduce the mass of equipment, but at the same time maintain a high damaging potential. For example, straight-flow engines can include the devices of the HVRD and SPVRD, which were developed since the 1960s and today have an optimized system of operation at ultra-high speeds.

Other areas of development

The idea of hypersonic weapons finds places in other niches of the domestic military production complex. For example, the use of such technologies is allowed even in the creation of bombers. The so-called wave-guns, like missiles, have unusual aerodynamic schemes that allow them to enter outer space and save fuel. Also, representatives of the defense sector more than once mentioned that Russia is preparing new maneuvering warheads, reminiscent of US hypersonic weapons of the type of the glider CAV FALCON.

Perhaps, these are advanced unmanned aircraft, in which jet engines of the new generation will be installed. One way or another, the range of directions in which domestic engineers work is quite extensive and in the future should provide reliable protection and effective offensive capabilities.

Conclusion

In modern terms, hypersonic weapons have become famous thanks to the United States, when the concept of a "global rapid strike" was formulated. In the two thousandth the arms race began, in the last years the testing phase of the first prototypes of hypersonic weapons is passing. Russia in it, if not the first, then one of the leading places.

Its advantages include not only the in-depth improvement of existing developments in this sector, but also the possibility of combining the concept of hypersonic missile weapons and air-space defense facilities. Along with this, the designs of aircraft are being developed, alternative types of fuel are being tested, including hydrogen, shells and engines for hypersonic military equipment are being improved.