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Subject
Hypersonic missiles and their implications.
Significance
Russia and China claim to have hypersonic weapons with near-global reach, capable of delivering nuclear warheads with certainty and overcoming US anti-ballistic missile (ABM) defences designed to intercept intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). The implication is that both countries are ahead of the United States in the technology race.
Impacts
Hypersonic technology poses a new challenge just as the future of the New START arms treaty is due for renewal in 2021.
While the Kremlin highlights future hypersonic weapons, broader procurement of new defence systems is lagging.
US and Chinese designers are investigating potentially cheaper methods of accelerating artillery shells to hypersonic velocities.
Keywords:
Russia,
United States,
RUCIS,
China,
RUSSIA/US,
international relations,
politics,
aerospace,
arms,
defence,
military,
arms control,
treaty
© Oxford Analytica 2021. All rights reserved. This content contains general information about geopolitical, macroeconomic and social developments or (where stated) other matters. It does not contain advice or recommendations that may be relied on. Where links to external websites are provided, this does not indicate that Oxford Analytica or Emerald agree with, endorse or have checked for accuracy the contents of said sites.
2019
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