What we know about a mysterious launch from Florida this week — The Pentagon is mum about this test launch from Cape Canaveral::The Pentagon is mum about this test launch from Cape Canaveral.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Airspace and maritime navigation warnings released to pilots and mariners suggest the US military might launch a hypersonic missile this week on a test flight from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
This test could be one of the final milestones before the US Army fields the nation’s first ground-based hypersonic weapon, which is more maneuverable and more difficult for an enemy to track and destroy than a conventional ballistic missile.
A few weeks later, the Army published a press release outlining “a full rehearsal of expeditionary hypersonic launch capabilities” at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station without mentioning the postponed test flight.
The LRHW, managed by the Army’s Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office, is the land-based component of the military’s effort to develop and deploy hypersonic missiles.
The Army and Navy programs will use an identical two-stage missile, which will jettison after depleting its rocket motors, freeing a hypersonic glide vehicle to steer toward a target and strike with little or no warning.
Vice Admiral Johnny Wolfe, director of the Navy’s strategic systems programs, told a subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee earlier this year they have coordinated with the Space Force’s range at Cape Canaveral to “provide funding for infrastructure upgrades necessary to establish the first Atlantic hypersonic flight test corridor.”
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The US military has successfully flown hypersonics before, though I don’t know about ground based. But, if they were going to test something like that, Canaveral wouldn’t be the best place to do that. BTW, there are air and sea stops along the cape all the time.
The US military has successfully flown hypersonics before
Yes they have but only air launched. Incredibly they claim to have air launched a hypersonic boost / glide vehicle that maintained above Mach 5 that was controlled all the way into it’s target. The HBGV part is interesting but the remote control at above Mach 5 is shocking if you know enough physics. Wish I could find the article on this test again.
But, if they were going to test something like that, Canaveral wouldn’t be the best place to do that.
As the Ukrainians have proven, you may think that hypersonics are a big deal but you can shoot them down if you know where they are going to be.
Canaveral is a USAF base and very small. Lots of eyes make their money watching the space coast. Whereas Vandenberg is a USAF base with some very stout security.
That’s because those aren’t true hypersonics, which would require some maneuverability at those speeds. If it follows a straight trajectory it’s not too hard to intercept
That’s when you get into your physics problem. There are only a limited amount of meuverability at those speeds though an atmosphere
The Kinzal is crap, it’s an IRBM modified for air launch, comparing it to a true Hypersonic Boost Glide Vehicle is like comparing a Harley to a GSX-R100R.
They were testing the new vodka seeking missiles.
Here’s a newer article. It was supposed to be a test of “Dark Eagle” Hypersonic Missile system.
