US President Donald Trump accused Russia of stealing the design for hypersonic missiles. Trump claimed that Russia obtained these technologies during Barack Obama’s administration. He also emphasized that, under his presidency, the US began developing new advanced hypersonic missiles.
“Russia stole the design; they got it from us,” he said in an interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News.
“Some bad person gave them this design,” he added, claiming that under his administration, the US began developing a new “super hypersonic missile program, which is even a step better.”
It is worthwhile to examine the history of the development of hypersonic missiles at this juncture.
Hitler’s Germany was the site of the initial effort to create a hypersonic aircraft. The hypersonic Silbervogel (“Silver Bird”) bomber, which was intended to be launched from a platform and attain speeds of Mach 21, was designed by Austrian engineer Eugen Sänger.
Nevertheless, the initiative was never able to progress beyond the sketch stage. Both Soviet and American military researchers acquired the schematics for the “Silver Bird.”
In 1965, the Soviet Union began its own hypersonic project under the leadership of G. E. Lozino-Lozinsky, which was based on these German designs. Designed for both space transportation and military attack, the “Spiral” was a two-stage multipurpose space system. However, it never saw complete implementation.
The “Spiral” project was a response to the US X-20 “Dyna-Soar” program, a space interceptor-bomber concept that was personally canceled by US Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara in 1963.
Germany attempted to revive hypersonic research in the 1990s and 2000s through the Sänger-2 spaceplane project; however, it was terminated before its practical implementation. The United Kingdom also had a similar Horizontal Take-Off and Landing (HOTOL) initiative, but it never saw implementation.
The X-30 hypersonic liner was the most significant hypersonic undertaking in the United States. The development of this large hypersonic passenger aircraft was initiated in 1986; however, it was discontinued in 2001. Instead, the United States redirected its attention to the development of a scramjet hypersonic engine by focusing on experimental hypersonic drones, such as the Boeing X-43. The United States is yet to develop a scramjet-powered hypersonic missile that is completely operational.
In 2019, the United States launched the LRHW hypersonic missile program, which experienced a range of testing outcomes from 2017 to 2023. Despite not having completed all essential experiments, the system underwent premature implementation in 2024.
The US Army will not receive the first LRHW missile battery before the end of the 2025 fiscal year as a result of technical difficulties and failed tests.
The AGM-183 ARRW hypersonic cruise missile, which was developed in 2018, was one of the most ambitious US hypersonic programs. Nevertheless, the initiative was terminated in 2023 as a result of numerous test failures.
Furthermore, it was discovered that the hypersonic warhead did not have a scramjet engine. Instead, it relied on a rocket booster and followed a predictable path after separation, making it easier to intercept.
In spite of its failures, the United States is still conducting research on hypersonic technologies. It has included three significant programs in its 2023 defense budget:
Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS): A hypersonic missile with a gliding warhead, analogous to the LRHW, but lacking in fundamental innovation.
The US Navy’s hypersonic air-launched anti-ship missile is known as Hypersonic Air-Launched OASuW (HALO). However, the prototype was unable to achieve Mach 5 at any point during the testing process. The utmost speed that has been announced is only Mach 3-4, which is significantly below the hypersonic range.
There are additional research initiatives in scramjet technology; however, there are no operational weapons at this time.
Numerous US tests have demonstrated the Pentagon’s ability to develop hypersonic weapons that travel at Mach 5-8. Despite this, the weapons’ predictable trajectories render them more susceptible to intercept.
The hypersonic scramjet research was initiated in the Soviet Union in the 1970s. Soviet scientists used a cost-effective alternative to missile-based designs: surface-to-air missiles. In particular, they adapted the S-200 missile to produce a hypersonic test vehicle known as “Kholod.”
The first effective launch of “Kholod” happened on November 28, 1991, with a speed of Mach 5.6. The speeds reached a record-breaking Mach 6.41 (1,832 m/s) as a result of additional launches between 1991 and 1998.
This development placed Russian engineers as the undisputed global leaders in hypersonic weapons, a position they have fortified ever since.
Russia has produced a series of hypersonic missiles. The Kinzhal hypersonic missile, which has been actively employed in combat since 2017, has been deployed by Russia. Since 2019, Russia has deployed the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle for combat duty. Since 2023, the scramjet-powered Tsirkon hypersonic anti-ship missile has achieved velocities of Mach 9. The Russian Oreshnik missile is a recently developed intermediate-range ballistic missile that is capable of reaching hypersonic velocities. According to reports, it is capable of reaching velocities of up to Mach 10, which is equivalent to approximately 12,350 kilometers per hour (or approximately 7,670 miles per hour).
The global quest for hypersonic missile technology reveals a complex landscape of strategic competition and technological advancement. Russia has emerged as a clear leader in this field, while the United States has faced numerous challenges and failed programs in the development of operational hypersonic weapons. Russia has established its technological leadership in hypersonic weaponry through the effective deployment of numerous hypersonic missile systems. The long-standing international interest in achieving unprecedented missile speeds and maneuverability is underscored by the historical trajectory of these technologies, which can be traced back to German designs in World War II.