In the midst of Russia's military attack on Kyiv, the Zircon hypersonic missile, which debuted, attracted global attention. This is not only the first time that the Russian army has used this innovation in the conflict in the past two years**, but also the shocking moment of the first actual combat of the world's hypersonic missile. The so-called "Dagger" is not a real hypersonic missile, but only an air-launched version of its predecessor, the Army Istander-M missile, which has a noticeable gap in technology and performance from a real hypersonic missile.
In the guide, we will analyze in depth the two technical paths of hypersonic missiles: gliding and air-breathing scramjet. As the world's first air-breathing scramjet hypersonic missile, the "Zircon" has attracted widespread attention from the international community for its technological breakthrough and practical application. This is not only a significant demonstration of Russia's military might, but also a challenge to the long-term efforts of the United States, marking Russia's global leadership in scramjet technology.
Despite the fact that "Zircon" has shown its great power in real combat, Russia is still facing challenges in terms of production capacity and informatization. In contrast, China already has a large stockpile of hypersonic missiles, such as the DF17 and YJ-21, as well as other new and undisclosed missiles. This makes the PLA a global leader in information-based warfare, and it is a strategy that could cost the US military a lot of money. In the context of the success of the first actual combat of hypersonic missiles, the US military may face the nightmare of the PLA hypersonic missile, especially in the scenario of the outbreak of war in the Taiwan Strait, its military bases in the western Pacific may face the threat of destruction.
In 2024, during Russia's military operation against Kyiv, it amazingly demonstrated its latest hypersonic missile, the Zircon. This actual combat appearance not only set a record in the conflict, but also triggered a huge ** in the global military balance.
The mystery of technology: the pinnacle of the air-breathing scramjet.
The "Zircon" is hailed as the world's first air-breathing scramjet hypersonic missile, making it technologically superior to traditional gliding missiles. The outstanding feature of this missile is that it runs on hydrocarbon fuel and achieves hypersonic flight with a scramjet engine. At the same time, by solving the technical problems of stable combustion of the engine, Russia managed to make a huge breakthrough on the "Zircon". This provides it with long-range strike capabilities, capable of accurately hitting targets more than 1,500 kilometers away, while the flight speed of Mach 9 also makes Ukraine's air defense systems and radars defenseless.
The first real combat success of the "Zircon" marks a key step for the hypersonic missile on the global stage. This not only proves Russia's global leadership in scramjet technology, but also means that the rules of competition may be redefined. This is a huge challenge for the United States, especially given its relative lag in the field of hypersonic technology.
While the world is paying attention to Russia's Zircon missiles, the Chinese People's Liberation Army's hypersonic missiles are also gradually emerging. Back in 2019, China successfully announced the successful development of hypersonic missiles such as DF17 and YJ-21 and equipped its troops. In terms of information-based warfare, China is the world's leading level. This makes it possible for the PLA in the hypersonic field to be a force that panics the US military.
The U.S. military's perception of hypersonic missiles is changing. Once a war breaks out in the Taiwan Strait, the US military may face the threat of PLA hypersonic missiles, especially its military bases in the western Pacific may be destroyed. The PLA's missiles have far beyond line-of-sight range, making it increasingly difficult to obtain target information. This requires not only advanced detection equipment, but also powerful information-based combat capabilities. The PLA is leading in this area, making it hypersonic guided.
With the success of the first combat hypersonic missile, the US military is realizing that its strategic position in the western Pacific may be seriously threatened by the PLA. The PLA is able to accurately obtain target information through satellites, drones and other equipment, destroy air defense systems through hypersonic missiles, and achieve effective strikes against the enemy. This is a severe test for the US military, and it also forces it to re-examine the position of hypersonic missiles in future wars.
With the gradual emergence of the PLA's hypersonic missiles, especially under the absolute superiority in information-based warfare, the US military may face an unprecedented nightmare. In the absence of a relay of military bases in the western Pacific, it is unlikely that the U.S. military will be involved in a war in close proximity in China. The PLA hypersonic missile will give the PLA greater initiative at the strategic level, allowing the US military to fall into a passive situation in the western Pacific region.
The rise of hypersonic missiles will bring profound changes to global geopolitics. The hypersonic missile race between China and the United States may become a decisive factor in the future military balance, and the pursuit of scramjet technology will also become a new focus of the arms race. In this strategic game, all parties may face unknown challenges and variables, and hypersonic missiles are bound to become the commanding heights of military technology and determine the direction of future wars.
Main title: The Hypersonic Controversy: The U.S.-China Missile Race Leads to Geopolitical Change in a New Era.
Global Shock: Hypersonic Missile Wave in the Arms Race.
With the emergence of "Zircon" and PLA hypersonic missiles, the global military landscape has once again been impacted. The hypersonic missile race between China and the United States has attracted more and more attention from the international community. This missile wave not only leads the way for the future arms race, but also serves as a catalyst for global geopolitical change.
The emergence of the PLA's hypersonic missiles has demonstrated its absolute superiority in the field of information-based warfare. Through reconnaissance satellites, unmanned reconnaissance aircraft, skywave over-the-horizon radars and other equipment, the PLA can achieve accurate acquisition of targets, realize independent decision-making and optimize the route of missiles after launch. This ability to integrate information-based operations enables PLA missiles to respond more flexibly to complex combat environments in actual combat, and has become a model of global military technology.
The missile race is not only a competition of technology, but also a redefinition of geopolitical relations. Competition between China and the United States in the field of hypersonic missiles will become an important variable in future international relations. Various countries may start a new round of arms race in the development and application of missile technology, which is bound to have a profound impact on the global security pattern.
The U.S. military is in an unprecedented predicament in the face of PLA hypersonic missiles. Its military bases in the western Pacific could be destroyed by PLA missiles, which severely constrained the ability of the U.S. military to intervene in the war at close range. The United States will have to rethink its strategy in future military conflicts to counter the threat posed by hypersonic missiles.
The rise of hypersonic missiles marks a new era in military technology. As China and the United States and other countries race to invest in missile technology research and development, breakthroughs in scramjet engine technology will determine the direction of future wars. Hypersonic missiles are expected to become the commanding heights of military technology, leading the future direction of the arms race and geopolitics.
The rise of hypersonic missiles is not only a technological competition, but also a new factor affecting the global security landscape. In the rapid development of missile technology, the absolute superiority of informationized warfare will become a decisive factor in future battlefields. The breakthrough of the PLA's hypersonic missiles in this area has allowed it to occupy an important place in geopolitics. In the future, hypersonic missiles will become the core of international military competition, determining the balance of power of countries in geopolitics. All parties around the world should respond cautiously to this trend and seek cooperation and balance in order to maintain global peace and security.
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