To combat the hypersonic missiles of adversaries Russia and China, the US Navy is creating a weapon system.
The chief of staff of the US Navy, Admiral Michael Gilday, stated last week that the US is working on a weapon system that can disable hypersonic weapons using high-energy microwaves or lasers.
According to Gilday, Washington is extremely concerned about the developments made by rivals Russia and China in the development of weapons that are at least five times quicker than the speed of sound.
US authorities have stated time and time again that hypersonic missiles pose a threat to Washington’s defences. They are challenging to detect or intercept because they move more quickly than conventional missiles and have unpredictable trajectories.
China has also ordered this type of weaponry, while Russia has already used hypersonic missiles in actual warfare. The testing process is still ongoing in the US at the moment.
Prior to now, US officials said that their nation was falling behind China and Russia in the development of hypersonic weapons. The US, however, recently refuted this, asserting that it holds views distinct from those of Russia and China. The US claims it would instead focus on developing weapons to address the hypersonic threat presented by Beijing and Moscow rather than competing technologically with rivals.
They are seen as potential interceptors for hypersonic weapons because direct energy systems using lasers or microwaves can damage or interfere with a weapon’s electronics.
The Lockheed Martin HELIOS laser system was just installed on the USS Preble by the US Navy this month. In the US Navy’s endeavour to outfit more potent and defensive laser weapons, it is the most sophisticated system.
