America’s Hypersonic Missiles Summed Up in 4 Words

Key Points – Despite billions invested in programs like the Air Force’s HACM, Army’s LRHW “Dark Eagle,” and Navy’s CPS, the United States currently has no operational, full-scale production hypersonic missiles, leaving it playing catch-up in this critical arms race.

-These advanced weapons, either glide vehicles or scramjet-powered cruise missiles, offer Mach 5+ speed and maneuverability, challenging existing defenses.

-While development faces significant cost and technical hurdles (heat management, guidance), adversaries like Russia (Kinzhal, Zircon, Oreshnik reportedly used in Ukraine) and China (DF-ZF, Starry Sky-2 tested) have fielded their own systems, prompting urgent US efforts in both hypersonic offense and defense.

US ‘Playing Catch-Up’ in Hypersonic Arms Race with Russia & China?

Currently, hypersonic missiles are one of the greatest threats facing the United States. With their insanely high speeds and unpredictable flight patterns, the US currently does not have any air defense systems capable of intercepting hypersonic weapons.

The US has been working on developing its hypersonic weapons since the early 2000s and has invested billions in hypersonic research. Despite this, the US reportedly falls behind in the hypersonic arms race.

How do Hypersonic Missiles Work?

There are two main types of hypersonic missiles: hypersonic glide vehicles (HGVs) and hypersonic cruise missiles (HCMs). HGVs are launched into the upper atmosphere atop a traditional rocket. Once they reach the desired altitude, they detach from the booster and glide toward their target at hypersonic speeds. Their ability to maneuver during flight makes their trajectory unpredictable, complicating interception efforts. In contrast, HCMs are powered throughout their flight by scramjet engines. These missiles are typically launched from aircraft or ground platforms and maintain hypersonic speeds while flying within the atmosphere.

Hypersonics rely on multiple complex systems and lots of physics to operate. For HGVs, the initial boost phase propels the vehicle to the edge of space. After separation, the glide vehicle uses aerodynamic lift to travel toward its target, adjusting its path as needed. HCMs, on the other hand, rely on scramjet propulsion to sustain their speed. These engines are only effective at supersonic speeds, so the missile must first be accelerated by a booster before the scramjet can take over. Both types of missiles face significant engineering challenges, including managing the extreme heat generated by air friction at such high velocities and maintaining precise navigation despite atmospheric disturbances.

One of the key advantages of hypersonic missiles is their sheer speed. Traveling at Mach 6+, they can reach targets in a matter of minutes, drastically reducing the time available for enemy forces to respond. Their maneuverability and low flight paths also make them difficult to detect and track using traditional radar systems.

Unlike ballistic missiles, which follow a predictable arc, hypersonic missiles can change direction mid-flight, further complicating interception.

Additionally, the US is focusing on developing hypersonic weapons that are conventionally armed, meaning they are designed to deliver non-nuclear payloads with high precision. This requires even greater accuracy and technological sophistication.

In 4 Words: America Is Running Behind 

As of 2025, the United States has several major hypersonic weapons programs underway and has invested several billion dollars into each of these.

The US Air Force is prioritizing the Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM), which is being developed in partnership with Raytheon and Northrop Grumman. This air-launched missile is designed to be deployed from fighter jets such as the F-15EX and aims to provide a rapid, long-range strike capability against time-sensitive or mobile targets.

The U.S. Army is advancing the Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW), also called the “Dark Eagle,” a ground-launched system that uses a hypersonic glide vehicle. This weapon is expected to have a range exceeding 1,700 miles and is mounted on a mobile transporter erector launcher, allowing for flexible deployment. The LRHW shares its glide vehicle with the US Navy’s Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) program, which is adapting the technology for use on Virginia-class submarines and Zumwalt-class destroyers. The goal of CPS is to give the Navy a rapid-response, long-range strike capability that can be deployed from sea-based platforms.

DARPA has also worked on a plethora of hypersonic projects within the last several years. One notable program is the Operational Fires (OpFires), which is focused on developing a ground-launched tactical hypersonic missile. This system is intended to enable mobile ground forces to launch precision hypersonic strikes, enhancing battlefield flexibility and responsiveness. The system completed its first tests in 2022, although no other information is known on the status of the project. In addition to OpFires, DARPA has been working on the Tactical Boost Glide (TBG), the Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept (HAWC), and the Glide Breaker, a project that focuses on developing components to enable long-range interception of hypersonic threats.

All Research, No Hypersonic Weapons? 

Despite all the research and development, the US currently has little to show to the public. While most of these projects are likely well into development, none of them have been accepted into service and none of them have been put into full scale production.

Cost is probably the biggest reason for this. Because of their sophistication, hypersonics are extremely costly to develop and produce. The technical complexity of building reliable scramjet engines, heat-resistant materials, and accurate guidance systems is immense, limiting the number that can be tested and produced. Despite the challenges, the US still has hypersonic development as one of its top priorities.

America is Playing Catch-up

The US’ adversaries, on the other hand, have been making significant progress on their own hypersonic programs. Russia currently has three hypersonic missiles in service, the Kh-47M2 Kinzhal, the 3M22 Zircon, and the Oreshnik.

All of these systems have reportedly been used at least once in Ukraine, although Kyiv claims to have intercepted at least one Kinzhal missile (I take issue with this claim, but that is a story for another day). Additionally, China has tested the DF-ZF HGV and Starry Sky-2 HCM, with other systems reportedly in development.

To counter these threats, the US is also investing heavily in missile defense systems specifically designed to detect and intercept these fast-moving threats. However, intercepting hypersonics is extremely difficult due to their unpredictable flight paths and high speeds.  One such initiative is the Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor (HBTSS), a satellite-based system intended to provide global tracking of hypersonic missiles.

Another is the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA), a layered satellite network designed to enhance missile tracking and targeting capabilities. Additionally, new interceptor systems are being developed to engage maneuvering hypersonic threats, although this remains a significant technical challenge.

About the Author

Isaac Seitz, a Defense Columnist, graduated from Patrick Henry College’s Strategic Intelligence and National Security program. He has also studied Russian at Middlebury Language Schools and has worked as an intelligence Analyst in the private sector.

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