Government

Army’s Hypersonic Weapon Can Travel 8x Speed of Sound, Strike Any Target Within 1 Hour

Successful 2,400 Mile Test of Armys Advanced Hypersonic Weapon

On Thursday, the U.S. Army completed a successful test of an Advanced Hypersonic Weapon soaring at eight times the speed of sound. The completion perhaps restoring a little bit of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA’s) confidence since it’s last test run of the Falcon Hypersonic Technology Vehicle 2 crashed into the Pacific Ocean this past August.

Successful 2,400 Mile Test of Armys Advanced Hypersonic Weapon

Image: Gizmodo

Today’s test builds upon lessons learned from the two earlier tests of Falcon HTV-2 and brings the military one step closer to having the capability to hit a target anywhere on Earth within an hour, according to Wired’s Danger Room.

Successful 2,400 Mile Test of Armys Advanced Hypersonic Weapon

Wired notes that this test was considerably easier than the one conducted with Falcon HTV-2 a few months ago though:

Darpa’s Falcon Hypersonic Technology Vehicle 2 — the one that splashed unsuccessfully in the Pacific — was supposed to fly 4,100 miles. The Army’s Advanced Hypersonic Weapon went about 60 percent as far, 2,400 miles from Hawaii to its target by the Kwajalein Atoll in the South Pacific. Darpa’s hypersonic glider had a radical, wedge-like shape: a Mach 20 slice of deep dish pizza, basically. The Army’s vehicle relies on a decades-old, conventionally conical design. It’s designed to fly 6,100 miles per hour, or a mere eight times the speed of sound.

Successful 2,400 Mile Test of Armys Advanced Hypersonic Weapon

Falcon HTV-2 flight overview. (Image: DARPA)

According to Fox News, this prototype flies flat rather than soaring upward and then coming back down.

Successful 2,400 Mile Test of Armys Advanced Hypersonic Weapon

Pacific Missile Range Facility (Kauai, Hawaii)

Wired reports that the weapon is part of the Prompt Global Strike project that focuses on developing hypersonic weapons, which includes anything that goes five times faster than the speed of sound, giving military the ability to strike targets anywhere in the world in less than one hour:

Those hypersonic gliders may cut down on the geopolitical difficulties, but introduced all sorts of technical ones. We don’t know much about the fluid dynamics involved when something shoots through the atmosphere at hypersonic speeds. And there really aren’t any wind tunnels capable of replicating those often-strange interactions.

“You have to go fly,” says retired Gen. James “Hoss” Cartwright, who helped lead the Prompt Global Strike push as vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and as head of U.S. Strategic Command. “You have to open up the envelope of knowledge.”

In addition to the testing of this Advanced Hypersonic Weapon and Falcon HTV-2 in recent months, Fox News also notes the semi-successful test in June of the Air Force’s X-1A Waverider. It reached Mach 5 speeds before “it failed to switch over to its main fuel source.”

Comments (178)

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  • Founding Father2
    Posted on November 18, 2011 at 12:08am

    A very useful piece of equipment. Here is two videos provided by DARPA on their new weapon: http://www.americanparchment.com/video/2011/nov/hypersonic_vehicle.html

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  • Sgt_Rock
    Posted on November 17, 2011 at 11:28pm

    OK, question…anyone curious who the engineers were on this venture? Think about who is attending our engineering schools, and who they are going to work for. Where do their true loyalties lie? How long before the technology finds it’s way to Pakistan, India of China? Just food for thought. We need more home grown engineers. This is what happens when you willing settle for a second rate education system run by socialists with an alternate agenda.

    Report Post » Sgt_Rock  
    • the hawk
      Posted on November 18, 2011 at 2:24am

      do you own a sound co…?

      Report Post »  
    • DaniOcean
      Posted on November 18, 2011 at 5:03am

      Don’t worry, if you are a foreign national and you want to study engineering and aerospace sciences you must pass a CIA/FBI background check before they issue you a visa. And I’m not joking and this is not some conspiracy theory – http://mech.rutgers.edu/prospective/?page=85 , http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/content/mar2005/bs20050317_7896.htm

      Q: What kinds of background checks are in place?
      A: There are two — the Mantis and Condor. People whose occupation comes under the “Technology Alert List” are susceptible to the Mantis background check. The Technology Alert List comprises fields that could be used against the U.S. in some act of terrorism, or that could be transferred to rogue nations. It includes fields as obviously dangerous as nuclear reaction, but also less obvious ones like urban planning.

      The Mantis is for people from specific nationalities more than others, and it‘s up to the consulate’s discretion whether to order one of these. In other words, a student from Pakistan is much more likely to be subjected to a security check than a student from Sweden, for example — even if they are in the same industry.

      The other background check added since September 11 is the so-called “list of 27” security check, known as Condor. It is performed on males between the ages of 17 and 60 from certain countries (including those born in or citizens of Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait,

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    • WBoyd
      Posted on November 18, 2011 at 7:21am

      Or how about the fact that we are even talking about it. Its like Nukes sure their the “Bigist Stick”… or is it? Can we take out an entire country without nuking it? We have been working on it for about 50 years? Just sayin

      Report Post » WBoyd  
    • The Voice of Libertarian Reason
      Posted on November 18, 2011 at 8:45am

      I AM a home grown engineer; and it is up to you and the rest of the reader here on the Blaze to encourage children to get into engineering and technology. That is the only way this country will dig itself out of the mess we are in; we are a nation of consumers, we need to be a nation of creators/manufacturers.

      Report Post »  
    • Phantom II
      Posted on November 18, 2011 at 10:36am

      @DaniOcean. How about background checks for people born in Hawaii, Asia, the 57th state?

      Report Post » Phantom II  
    • misterptaco
      Posted on November 18, 2011 at 11:46am

      “The booster system and glide vehicle were developed by Sandia National Laboratories”

      Sandia National Labs is a National Security Lab and they hire almost exclusively US Citizens. If you had done the slightest bit of research on the matter, you would have found this out. But, I suppose it’s easier to keep your eyes closed and your ears plugged so you can make idiotic political points and maintain your self-righteous and smug rage, right?

       
    • K Chad Roberts
      Posted on November 18, 2011 at 12:48pm

      I agree with your sentiment, but you gotta understand something. It’s illegal for foreign nationals to work on ANY classified work for the government (especially when it has to do with national security). Some exceptions are made. Source: experience. I have to ask foreign nationals to leave the room when I’m discussing certain things with co-workers.

      Report Post »  
    • Elyakim
      Posted on November 18, 2011 at 1:15pm

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzPmfZuJZ34 actual glideing video on utube….

      Report Post »  
    • banjarmon
      Posted on November 18, 2011 at 2:06pm

      @DaniOcean
      DO we have a foreign national in the White House????

      Report Post » banjarmon  
    • bahlers
      Posted on November 18, 2011 at 6:05pm

      Nukes aren’t even the most powerful weapon anymore. People forget that the hydrogen bomb is way more powerful in terms of force than a nuke is.

      Report Post »  
    • One_Man_Army
      Posted on November 19, 2011 at 8:57am

      @ Bahlers

      Uhm, I don’t know if you realize this, but the Hydrogen bomb IS a nuke. You see, BOTH the Atomic AND the Hydrogen bombs are nukes. The E-Bomb is a nuke, as well, you know. They are ALL different types of nuclear weapons.

      Report Post »  
    • Salamander
      Posted on November 19, 2011 at 11:57am

      Interesting thought! When I was in engineering school, in the 60′s/70′s, we sure graduated a bunch of Iranians! And, when flying back home after a deployment in the mid-East, the commercial airliner was full of Iranian and Iraqi Air Force officers on their way to advanced flight training in the USA! In the last 40 years, we have exported every ‘dirty’ industry (like industrial castings, steel, etc.), our polluting and low-margin industries, and some high-tech ones as well, like auto and semi-conductor manufacture. Now, as for a long, long time, we are exporting our intellectual property in the form of higher education in strategically important technical areas! Stupid is as stupid does! (You know that O.P.E.C. came out of Harvard-educated Arabs! And, that the largest benefactor to Harvard University is the bin Laden family (Note: they are not all as bad as their notorious sibling, Osama, but HE sure put the Whammy on us!)

      Report Post »  
    • Salamander
      Posted on November 19, 2011 at 12:05pm

      And, I ‘nuke’ my coffee in a microwave! But, I learned not to describe it as such while visiting Japan–a really tacky and insensitive remark! One doesn‘t go out on a brisk Fall day and say ’There is a nip in the air!” either! I think Obama’s brain-phart on the 57 states could only come from his muslim schooling in Indonesia–that kind of error would NEVER come from a child educated in America! I wonder what else he studies there–global economics, geo-politics, British Colonialism (which in my opinion was not half as damaging as the de-colonialization which followed, with all the pseudo-leaders using the opportunity to massacre their political opponents! When one party beheads while the other party votes, guess who ‘wins’? Actually, EVERYBODY loses!)

      Report Post »  
    • Baxman53
      Posted on November 19, 2011 at 7:55pm

      I have a very close friend that works in Iowa for a company that is developing technology for the Navy…He and I both went through the socialist education system that is the U.S. public school system and we turned out just fine. I don’t believe the failure is totally in our schools. I believe that the parents should share in the blame. By the way my friend and I are both conservative. I think it is because our parents instilled values in our lives that one day I hope to pass on to my children.

      Report Post »  
    • Keith Edwards
      Posted on November 19, 2011 at 8:32pm

      The way China keeps hacking our systems, they’re probably already working on it. The next president needs to completely stop trade with communist China and take further action if the hacking persists.

      Report Post »  
    • BUehlein
      Posted on November 20, 2011 at 10:25am

      Totally agree. It is hard to convince a bright young person to go into engineering when there are few job opportunities afterward. If you are one of the brightest, going into politics ,law or community organizing is much, much more lucrative. Until it makes financial sense to manufacture in the US, say goodbye to the best students going into engineering. The best thing that we can do for manufacturing is to make politics, law and community organizing as unprofitable as possible..

      Report Post »  
    • Warthogg
      Posted on November 26, 2011 at 12:30pm

      More likely Israel will get this technology and sell it to China as has been done in the past.

      Report Post »  
    • Ruler4You
      Posted on November 26, 2011 at 12:54pm

      As you are aware, even the Fatboy (WWII) project had traitors and spies working on it. From beginning to end, it has since been revealed.

      Today, our PC and “diversity” poisoned government insists that such projects reflect a ‘diverse’ ‘employee’ cultural cross section. Much of the time with little or inadequate security and background checks. Recent years at White Sands should be all of the proof necessary to substantiate these truths, if you aren’t historically up to speed on these things.

      And if that doesn’t result in the desired outcome, (technology transfer) the POTUS or military industrial complex partner will hand them (“enemy”) what they want (as you are also aware, Clinton handed China highly restricted technology after he ‘accidentally’ bombed their Serbian embassy during ‘his’ war). Since then GE and other U.S. companies have sold technology to a wide range of our ‘enemies.’

      Report Post » Ruler4You  
    • Lucky1
      Posted on November 26, 2011 at 1:18pm

      You don’t have to worry as Obama wants to give the contract to build to a Brazilian Company to produce without a bid. As you know he has already loaned them monies to drill in the gulf with after putting a moritoriam against any of our companys drill there. Brizil and venzualla are close friends and Mr Chavez is a good friend of Obama….You connect the dots!!!

       
    • utahbac
      Posted on November 26, 2011 at 2:03pm

      @phantam ii, hahahahahah

      Report Post »  
    • donbrending
      Posted on November 26, 2011 at 2:38pm

      It must be hell living your life always afraid. I feel so sorry for people like you

      Report Post »  
    • Clare Clare
      Posted on November 26, 2011 at 2:50pm

      Sgt Rock, I used to work in Human Resources for a computer contractor that had a contract (among many others) with DARPA. A huge percentage of the people we hired already had Secret and Top Secret clearances–in fact, very often I was not allowed to know what exactly these new employees would be doing, since I myself didn’t have such a high clearance! We once hired a retired Australian military officer to work for us, and all sorts of complex precautions legally had to be taken when he walked into certain parts of the building (drawers had to be locked before he entered some rooms, e.g.), simply because he was not a US citizen and thus could not be cleared at the same level as his colleagues. Obviously Australia is not Pakistan, and the contract he worked on wasn’t with DARPA anyway, but he nevertheless faced amazing restrictions every day!

      In short, no way people who have been cleared at that high level are non-US citizens, or are citizens with ties to the sketchy countries that you mention. There are plenty of things to worry about–like ELECTING POLITICIANS with sketchy backgrounds and sympathies!–but the issues you raise aren’t among them. Yes, we Americans occasionally do some dumb things; but we’re not THAT dumb.

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    • flntlok1949
      Posted on November 26, 2011 at 4:27pm

      Yup, if we have it Today, someone else will have it tommorrow. If it isn’t given away by a Government that is trying to level the playing field, it will be stolen, sold to the highest bidder, or Wikkileaked to all and sundry. The only secret America has ever been able to keep is about what goes on at area 51 – and everyone knows that. LOL

      Report Post »  
    • America1st
      Posted on November 26, 2011 at 8:14pm

      Amen!!

      Report Post »  
    • caucasiannation
      Posted on November 26, 2011 at 10:19pm

      You have it hit on the head. You can bet this technology is already in other counties hands. Doesn’t make a difference if it is Israel or China it is still a potential adversary. How much longer will the real people of America tolerate schools teaching at a third world level in the name of diversity.

      Report Post »  
  • Drakkhanlord
    Posted on November 17, 2011 at 10:50pm

    So why have we been fighting camel jockeys for 10years …?

    We have Rail guns , Lasers, Missiles, Nuetron weapons,tactical nukes
    and bunch of other fun toys…
    Why are we still fighting cave dwellers after 10 years ?
    Why do we have any soldiers on the ground…?

    Pardon and Pacify…

    btw , 911 was an inside job…
    btw2, the Borders are wide open…

    Report Post » Drakkhanlord  
    • colonial10
      Posted on November 17, 2011 at 11:01pm

      Just keep on giving our technology away. The person who puts these things in the news papers must be working for our enemies. Let’s show the world how it works. We have spies in our midst and there is nothing we can do with these pathetic politicians. It is better to keep your secrets secret. China will figure it out in reverse engineering and make it better. They will be able to strike anywhere within 30 minutes. What a shame, What a shame.

      Report Post » colonial10  
    • the_truth_or_not
      Posted on November 18, 2011 at 12:00am

      @COLONIAL10
      I agree, what other purpose would you have for posting the flight path of a sophisticted weapon such as this?

      Report Post » the_truth_or_not  
    • wbalzley
      Posted on November 18, 2011 at 12:44am

      @Colonial10: A HYPOTHESIS: After the fall of the Soviet Union, The United States got too far ahead of the curve. We became so powerful that we began to question the wisdom in continual military expansion. We became complacent and focused our efforts on developing a consumer rather than a military culture.

      However, the Global Elite thrive on militarism, and needed to create an enemy powerful enough to threaten us. They want to recreate the terror of the Cold War, which caused us to work our butts off developing advanced technologies to beat the Russians. Nothing like the threat of annihilation to motivate your workforce.

      This is why our corrupt leaders have allowed our technology to fall into the hands of our enemies–to create a viable threat to national security and keep us in a state of perpetual panic. This allows them to extract our maximum effort and demand our absolute loyalty as they tighten the iron grip of tyranny.

      Report Post »  
    • UnderGod
      Posted on November 18, 2011 at 12:59am

      First of all the US triumphs have been in the news for decades. During the space race Nasa would send von Braun on tv to talk about it. It’s good for the country to know our military has the best weapons, and for other countries to know we have them too.

      Don’t worry. China will not be able to figure this out. They copied the F35 and it works just like Doc Brown giving a nuc to the lybians made of used pinball machine parts.

      Report Post » UnderGod  
    • chris.duncan
      Posted on November 18, 2011 at 2:12am

      drakhanlord

      911 an inside job? no, tired of hearing that it’s a bogus, tired, washed up conspiracy… almost as annoying as the occupy idiots claiming to be “representative of the 99%”

      that said, we really do need to clean up our borders, i mean come on, how can that not be at the top of any nations to do list?

      Report Post » chris.duncan  
    • DaniOcean
      Posted on November 18, 2011 at 5:08am

      I don‘t know why I can’t reply to a reply?

      @COLONIAL10 if you think you can learn how a high-tech rocket, laser, etc. works from a news paper report you are deluding your self. Don’t worry, the government have systems in place to protect the most important secrets, and I believe that the cutting-edge stuff never makes it to the media.

      Report Post »  
    • 4blackhorses
      Posted on November 18, 2011 at 8:22pm

      Why? The same damned reason we were in Viet Nam so friggin’ long. Politics! Since and including Korea, this nation has let our wars be debated by desks in Washington rather than won by our Generals and Armed Forces. Had not Johnson bowed to the whiney, bleeding heart liberals of the day, the bombing of North Viet Nam would have continued. As one commander, I forget his name, of that side said, (refering to the bombing) “I couldn’t believe it! America had us on our knees ready to surrender when they ceased!”

      To hell with politics, the Geneva Agreement, war is war. It‘s life or death and the reality of it doesn’t get any more simple than that.

      Been there done it.

      Report Post »  
    • Salamander
      Posted on November 19, 2011 at 12:14pm

      I agree! Since LBJ wanted to ‘fight’ the war, they should have stuck his A$$ in a jet and shot him off a carrier to bomb Hanoi–just so he could ‘get the feel’ of it! Or, strapped an M16 on his shoulder, put him in some fatigues and marched his A$$ up the Seven Valleys, to phuKK with the NVA! I’d bet his tactics would change a bit if he had any more experience than an appendectomy!

      Report Post »  
    • pacomj60
      Posted on November 27, 2011 at 11:14am

      This kind of thinking is what is killing the country. Sandia and the other national labs are for the most part under the USAF as the DoDs executive agent. Work in the labs is tightly controlled and having worked with all of them during 3 decades in the USAF none tolerate or hire non-us citizens. Even US citizens who come from well identified enemies of the US are seldom hired even after some of the most through background and polygraph testing.
      We need every tool we can develop to defend this nation and we need to use some of them now. If I were in charge I would take out Pakistan’s military and completely destroy their nuclear stock pile which is now the 3rd largest in the world. I would follow or at the same time destroy Iran’s weapons program and all of its military bases.
      Third I would let the Arab world know that creating Islamic governments will place them on the target list. Don’t forget that Islam is a political system that hides under the label of religion. Its sole goal is to destroy the west and keep women slaves.
      To insure the safety of our nation we need to make it clear to Muslims that they are not covered by the religious freedoms of this nation and they will register as a political party or leave. Once we stop playing there game they will lose tax status and will be forced into the open for what they are. Those in the US are a 5th column which intends to destroy us.
      If you don’t believe this then read their book of laws called the Koran

      Report Post »  
  • garclar
    Posted on November 17, 2011 at 10:48pm

    wow what a piece of work, many cudos to the development team on this one, another cool way to smoke our enemies out in rural taliban land, I like our brand of terrorrism, you never know when your going to be turned into pieces of meat for the worms………

    Report Post »  
    • amagaux
      Posted on November 18, 2011 at 9:50am

      Big waste of funds. Fun to see and talk about; however, we will never use it. It is only window dressing. Our enemy lives in caves and drives pickup trucks with machine guns mounted on the back. We are not permitted to blow up nations, no matter what. We might accidently harm a civilian, who is actually a terrorist. Go figure.

      Report Post »  
    • ypdave
      Posted on November 20, 2011 at 6:26pm

      Why do we need something that can strike anywhere on the Earth within an hour from here when when already have cruise missiles forward deployed pretty much everywhere. What’s the hurry – wanna launch a strike after dinner and here about it on Fox News by Prime Time?

      Report Post »  
  • LightvsDarkness
    Posted on November 17, 2011 at 10:25pm

    Cool.

    Report Post » LightvsDarkness  
    • Eliasim
      Posted on November 17, 2011 at 10:51pm

      In the event of all-out WW3 this technology would be shut-down relatively quick.

      Report Post »  
    • its_time_to_arrest_our_government
      Posted on November 18, 2011 at 2:59am

      we will be sold out by the commies in our government long before a shots ever fired. the only way we are going to put a stop to all this is to put every one of our elected traitors behind bars. no one should be reelected to any office. it needs to be one and done from here on out. one term is all it takes to corrupt anyone anymore. our politicians need to know any violation of their oath of office or the constitution get them an automatic 20 years. no more of this crap that they are above the laws of this nation. insider trading gets you 20. any violation by anyone in office get them an automatic 20. enough is enough. its time to show them who holds the power. and any judge who even trys to let them off the hook gets an automatic 40 years. we need to clean out our courts and our government. they all need to end their careers in jail. we have one of the most corrupt government ever in the history of our nation. its time we lock them all up and string up the commies and let the rest rot. its time to let these liberals know we will not tolerate their subversive crap, they dont like it here its time we send them packing. being an American is a privilege. anyone who dishonors their citizenship needs to be sent back to europe where they will be more at home with the rest of their socialist doggy do do.

      Report Post »  
  • LiveforFreedom
    Posted on November 17, 2011 at 10:23pm

    Cool

    Report Post »  
  • snufy
    Posted on November 17, 2011 at 10:05pm

    Colt, as for your mention of suitcase nukes, the actual size of them are more like steamer trunks than suitcases.
    Isn’t it fantastic that we now have another way to kill people? I mean, we sure have come a long way from when cavemen hit people on the head with a club.

    Report Post » snufy  
    • colt1860
      Posted on November 17, 2011 at 11:26pm

      And our borders are wide open!

      7/25/2007 FOXNEWS: Brigitte Gabriel, the author of “Because They Hate: A Survivor of Islamic Terror Warns America,“ tells Larry Elder of ”The Larry Elder Show” (a nationally syndicated daily talk show for ABC Radio Networks): “We have terrorists coming through our borders. Al-Qaida is working with the MS-13 gang, smuggling al-Qaida terrorists into the country. Hezbollah is doing the same… We estimate thousands have already been smuggled into America… Hamas is here…”

      8/8/2007 WASHINGTON POST: In addition, MS-13 is reported to have smuggled in a variety of nuclear weapons for Al-Qaeda, including suitcase nukes and even a few nuclear missile warheads, and Al-Qaeda’s arsenal may even be bigger than that. Which is probably why a nuclear attack on U.S. soil is now considered the number one threat by Homeland Security.

      “In addition to detonating its own nuclear weapons already planted in the U.S., military sources also say there is evidence to suggest al-Qaida is paying former Russian special forces Spetznaz to assist the terrorist group in locating nuclear weapons formerly concealed inside the U.S. by the Soviet Union during the Cold War.” wnd.com/?pageId=31232#ixzz1e1legWib

      Why do we keep spreading our Military thin around the world? We need them here, now! We need to secure our own borders! These Marxists in the Government desire a defenseless US homeland, with no troops. Only FEMA, DHS, UN, etc. present to “protect” us.

      Report Post »  
    • UnderGod
      Posted on November 18, 2011 at 1:10am

      @S & @colt – Adolf said America will fall because it does not protect its borders. There are many military outposts which should be cleared out with no trace left. Bring the boys back here and set up camps around our borders.

      We still need bases in Germany, Japan, and other countries throughout the world.

      My brother just had a close call in the Philippines with some packies. He was there training allied Pino forces. That’s fine, only about 100 of them went, but paving roads in Afghan…stop; the lithium ion battery companies can get the lithium themselves.

      Report Post » UnderGod  
    • tribnow
      Posted on November 19, 2011 at 9:59pm

      Snufy, sorry but you’re wrong. We had in theater tactical nukes that weigh 90 pounds and fit in frames in backpacks in the late 80′s in USAEUR that we would have deployed at key transportation pinch points if other devices failed. Those were twenty years old at that time so I am sure size has been reduced greatly since. Any weapon we allow to be reported in media is obsolete. Look at stealth planes, apache, etc. What DARPA has warehoused in mass is what is really scary. If you have access and go look online you will see. If you do not have access think skynet, terminator, etc. As long as those in control have U.S.A. continuing “as is” planned we are okay!

      Report Post »  
  • qzak491
    Posted on November 17, 2011 at 9:20pm

    If I’m reading this right we could hit an enemy firing missels at us before their missles get here. Think about this, during the Cuban Missle crisis we came close to accidental nuclear war at least twice because of things that happened by accident. There was a test missle launch that almost caused the Russians to attack that had nothing to do with the crisis. I think there was a spy plane that flew over Cuba that almost caused an attack. POINT This didn’t happen because of the time it took to respond to what was happening. There was time to check out what was going on before anything major happened and there was time for the leaders of Russia and the US to confirm what was going on before we got into real trouble. Weapons like this takes that away and makes accidents more dangerous. THINK ABOUT THIS

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    • jingoistic.patriot
      Posted on November 17, 2011 at 9:31pm

      Anything done as a knee jerk reaction is a mistake. All this means is that after we make the decision to launch it won’t take long before they receive our Candy Gram. Besides, once we decide to launch, what’s the difference if it takes an ICBM 30 minutes to Obliterate, Oh let’s say, MECCA, or this vehicle which sends them to meet Allah that much more quickly? Or if you prefer, some ChiCom making useless imports to sell to Americans.

      Report Post »  
  • abbygirl1994
    Posted on November 17, 2011 at 9:00pm

    Please give one of these to Israel! God help us!

    Report Post » abbygirl1994  
    • 1947
      Posted on November 17, 2011 at 9:07pm

      You mean TEN

      Report Post »  
    • ScienceIsNotEvil
      Posted on November 17, 2011 at 9:27pm

      Why so they can sell it to China (Which they tried to do in the past) or build a factory to make them in Russia (Which they are currently doing with advanced UAVs?

      Report Post »  
    • knighttemplar999
      Posted on November 17, 2011 at 9:40pm

      Why would Israel need these, their enemys are very close.

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  • GTH
    Posted on November 17, 2011 at 8:40pm

    Wait a minute! This thing crashed 2 months ago on it’s first trial run and was never seen again.

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  • 1947
    Posted on November 17, 2011 at 8:40pm

    America, could this be for Obama‘s Army that he’s talked about….? Why not the Air Force or Navy …?

    http://youtu.be/76kUf2g-8FY

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  • Secessionista
    Posted on November 17, 2011 at 8:32pm

    Think about it – what target do you HAVE to hit an hour from now that you couldn’t hit 2 hours from now with a conventional ballistic missile?

    This is stupid, and all it does is destabilize the world. It allows us to retaliate before the world can ask us not to do so. And it allows our attack to be completed before we even realize it was a false launch.

    Report Post » Secessionista  
    • CatB
      Posted on November 17, 2011 at 9:00pm

      If it is pointed toward Iran .. good.

      Report Post »  
    • chips1
      Posted on November 17, 2011 at 9:05pm

      Your correct. Obama’s father had a false launch and it was a disaster.

      Report Post »  
    • abseas
      Posted on November 17, 2011 at 10:00pm

      One thing I got from the article was that this thing could easily change course in flight whereas ICBM’s are very limited that way.

      Report Post »  
    • Evil_Conservative
      Posted on November 18, 2011 at 9:42am

      No destablizing. The fact that the US can blow anybody up anywhere in the world is not new. BTW China probably has had the blueprints for years.

      Report Post » Evil_Conservative  
  • 13th Imam
    Posted on November 17, 2011 at 8:32pm

    Rumor has it that there is a large circle of loyal goosestepping handholding Iranians that would make a great target.

    Fire One

    Report Post » 13th Imam  
    • Uranium Wedge
      Posted on November 17, 2011 at 8:54pm

      Hell yes.

      Report Post » Uranium Wedge  
    • CatB
      Posted on November 17, 2011 at 9:01pm

      God speed!

      Report Post »  
    • colt1860
      Posted on November 17, 2011 at 9:12pm

      That would be great.

      But… If we do that, we should have five to ten more ready. I’m pretty sure China, Russia, North Korea, Venezuela and any other Marixist/Communist Nation would join in all the fun.

      Report Post »  
    • SgtB
      Posted on November 17, 2011 at 11:59pm

      I’m guessing that CatB and you others have never known anyone who was actually from Iran and you cannot fathom that much like here, there is a large faction of people there who are against war with other countries and genocide no matter how much the gov’t promotes it and rattles the sword.

      I personally went to boot camp with 2 muslim men from the other side of the world. Both were patriots even though neither was born in this nation. In fact, Javed was from Kuwait and was a child when the US Marines rolled through his city on the way to defend his nation from Iraqi forces. I also have a current aquaintence from Iran whose parents defected due to their religion and the persecution that they faced under the Iranian gov’t.

      If the Iranian gov’t ever feels fit to get nuclear weapons, I’m fine with that. If they ever shoot one of those weapons out of agression at ourselves or any nation with which we have a current common defense treaty, then they had best hope that they can destroy our entire ability to make war in one shot because their nation would soon turn to glass. BTW, they don’t have the capability to send a nuke to our shores in anything smaller than a 737 and we have more than enough capability to stop a rogue aircraft. It wouldn’t even take a single bullet or missile. A single prowler or growler could easily send out enough EMI to cause a plane to go skipping across the ocean like a pebble.

      Report Post » SgtB  
    • mrshinola
      Posted on November 18, 2011 at 2:46pm

      Chips1

      Too bad his Dad’s pet goat ran off. mrshinola

      Report Post » mrshinola  
  • Secessionista
    Posted on November 17, 2011 at 8:28pm

    I wonder how long it will be before Obummer gives this technology to Iran, Pakistan, China, and Russia.

    Why do we never learn? Every military technology we’ve ever developed is now being used by the bad guys against us. Iran is about to have a nuclear weapon, North Korea already does. Maybe it really is time to slash the military’s budget.

    Report Post » Secessionista  
  • thejackal
    Posted on November 17, 2011 at 8:26pm

    Obamao is going to use it on the Conservatives, and baby seals and stuff.

    Report Post » thejackal  
  • thejackal
    Posted on November 17, 2011 at 8:24pm

    How about hyper-Awesome! Too bad we have a Marxist usurper as president. He’ll start using it on his political enemies soon enough. All Marxists crack eventually… Usualy when they realize that they are going to lose power. Hang on peeps it’s gonna get ghetto around here.

    Report Post » thejackal  
  • ramburner
    Posted on November 17, 2011 at 8:21pm

    Ok. So why are we Occupying Germany. Korea, Japan. and so many other countries around the world? If we can strike in less than 1 hour, there is no reason to be wasting our money on any of these bases, especially when we have chaos on our borders. Why can’t we protect the American people FIRST? Isn’t that what our government has been tasked to do? “…. Protect our Constitution from all enemies foreign and domestic ….”? When will we learn from history the consequences of Treason and fulfill them?

    Report Post »  
  • shawnh1970
    Posted on November 17, 2011 at 8:18pm

    Do you remember the mysterious contrail that left California headed out over the pacific a few months back? I think we found the smoking gun.

    Report Post »  
    • Wixom35
      Posted on November 17, 2011 at 8:30pm

      Excellent Observation!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

      Report Post »  
    • Locutus
      Posted on November 17, 2011 at 8:31pm

      chinese missile off coast of cali, not this.

      Report Post » Locutus  
    • abseas
      Posted on November 17, 2011 at 10:08pm

      Yup . . I’ll betcha it was Chinese. They‘re just letting us know that they are out there and we can’t do much about it. Ya know, all they would have to do is lob 2 to 4 high altitude Nukes over our country from both sides and the whole nation would shut down instantly due to EMP (Electro-magnetic-pulse.) We‘re living on a ticking time bomb and most people haven’t a clue.

      Report Post »  
  • booger71
    Posted on November 17, 2011 at 8:17pm

    But will it kill a deer?

    Report Post » booger71  
    • colt1860
      Posted on November 17, 2011 at 8:23pm

      Not while the very Liberal, anti-Gun and anti-hunting POTUS is in Office.

      Report Post »  
    • Cocheta
      Posted on November 26, 2011 at 7:23pm

      Booger, as an avid sportsman and former military officer, my best estimate is that the hypersonic payload will, indeed, kill a deer… so long as it is a heart or double-lung shot.

      Report Post » Cocheta  
  • Bakko Bomma
    Posted on November 17, 2011 at 8:09pm

    Obummers new assassination machine!

    Report Post » Bakko Bomma  
    • Bakko Bomma
      Posted on November 17, 2011 at 8:17pm

      No more NATO!

      Report Post » Bakko Bomma  
    • colt1860
      Posted on November 17, 2011 at 8:22pm

      Yep. People seem to forget, that all these technological and militaristic advancements are great, but that their use and implementations MUST BE restrained by the CHAINS of the federal CONSTITUTION. We must no unconstitutionally expand the Powers of the federal Government to promote or advance agendas or special interests, here at home or abroad. That is Progressivism.

      Of all the enemies to public liberty, war is perhaps the most to be dreaded, because it comprises and develops the germ of every other. War is the parent of armies; from these proceed debts and taxes; and armies, debts, and taxes are the known instruments for bringing the many under the domination of the few … No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare. – Madison

      The means of defense against foreign danger historically have become the instruments of tyranny at home. – Madison

      If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. – Madison

      Each generation should be made to bear the burden of its own wars, instead of carrying them on, at the expense of other generations. – Madison

      Perhaps it is a universal truth that the loss of liberty at home is to be charged to provisions against danger, real or pretended, from abroad. – Madison

      Just food for thought.

      Report Post »  
  • colt1860
    Posted on November 17, 2011 at 8:07pm

    This is awesome!

    And some how, we’re worried about Iran? Please, Iran’s military is a joke. They can’t compete with any highly developed nation militarily or technologically. So, they build one lousy WMD, if they don’t blow themselves up first, so what? Against our thousands? Israel’s thousands? Great Britain’s? Etc?

    “My fellow Americans, I am pleased to tell you I just signed legislation which outlaws Russia forever. The bombing begins in five minutes.” Reagan

    Reagan was very confident in our defense against any foreign threat. During this time period it was the Progressives who were most paranoid over an imminent attack or show of power by the Soviet Union. The left’s fear mongering and delusional concerns were soon enough discredited and mocked. They sought a Progressive foreign policy; democracy through military might by whatever means necessary. The liberals and those in the left wing media thought Reagan was stupid for not militarily confronting the threat the Soviets posed. Reagan‘s confidence in our safety and his understanding that the economy mattered most in a Nation’s survival or destruction had the Liberals outraged. Reagan did not adhere to the UN’s philosophy of our Military being used as a sort of Peace Corps around the world. Reagan understood the priorities of our military and wisely sought not to put our troops in unnecessary danger. Reagan was strong in National Defense and yet sought diplomacy.

    Report Post »  
    • colt1860
      Posted on November 17, 2011 at 8:14pm

      The defense policy of the United States is based on a simple premise: The United States does not start fights. We will never be an aggressor. We maintain our strength in order to deter and defend against aggression – to preserve freedom and peace. – Reagan

      History teaches that war begins when governments believe the price of aggression is cheap. – Reagan

      A nuclear war cannot be won, and must never be fought. – Reagan

      America does not go abroad in search of monsters to destroy. She is the well-wisher to the freedom and independence of all. She well knows that by enlisting under other banners than her own, were they even the banners of foreign independence, she would involve herself beyond the power of extrication in all the wars of interest and intrigue, of individual avarice, envy and ambition, which assume the colors and usurp the standards of freedom. – JQ Adams

      The CONSTITUTION vests the power of declaring war in Congress; therefore no offensive expedition of importance can be undertaken until after they shall have deliberated upon the subject and authorized such a measure. –Washington

      The power to declare war, including the power of judging the causes of war, is fully and exclusively vested in the legislature… the executive has no right, in any case, to decide the question, whether there is or is not cause for declaring war. – James Madison

      A Conservative realistic view of foreign policy. Check it out:

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9SOVz

      Report Post »  
    • thekuligs
      Posted on November 17, 2011 at 8:15pm

      I don’t think we should be concerned with Iran; it’s China we have to worry about. When the super committee fails to reach an agreement on the 1.2 Trillion dollars that needs to be cut their will be automatic cuts in defense. That means new programs like this will never materialize, and while China beefs up their military ours will be stuck in place.

      Report Post » thekuligs  
    • C. Schwehr
      Posted on November 17, 2011 at 8:19pm

      Reagan isn’t here anymore. An incompetent progressive/marxist is, and that scares the hell out of me! It only takes one nuke, smuggled across our wide open border with mexico and stashed somewhere in New York or Washington City, to disrupt the entire country. Smuggle in two warheads and take out both L.A. and New York…you’ve just destabilized the nation. Our Navy‘s readiness is the lowest we’ve seen in years. Our Army is overused in unnecessary wars in the middle east. Our Air Force is likewise being wasted overseas. And you talk about Reagan? Wake up and find out just what has been done to our military since Reagan! Yes, we have some new toys…many of which have been shut down by our current regime….This new one will more than likely go the way of the Airbourne Anti-missile Laser system and our now mothballed anti-missile defense system! WAKE UP!

      Report Post »  
    • colt1860
      Posted on November 17, 2011 at 8:34pm

      @thekuligs Exactly. Our biggest most realistic priority right now should be the Economy. We are in way over our heads thinking that we can spend and borrow without end. When foreign Nations and the international Bankers come knocking at our doors, requesting us to pay them back, and we’re dead broke, the chains of slavery shall fall upon us. The globalist elites will have us in bondage, due to our failure to not live within our means, the Rule of Law, and the federal Constitution.

      The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender. Proverbs 22:7

      Reagan said, “In the 1960′s, the federal Government decided to stop tying the value of the dollar to gold. This permitted them to PRINT as much money as they wanted to spend. And that‘s WHY we’ve had THIS crippling inflation. We’ll NEVER regain price stability until we RESTORE some form of GOLD backing to the dollar. As President, MY FIRST PRIORITY will be to make the dollar the most trusted currency in the world.”

      “Ronald Reagan believes Government [The Federal Reserve] causes inflation. Not business. Not labor.”

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxEq2LWUPzc

      Report Post »  
    • colt1860
      Posted on November 17, 2011 at 8:47pm

      @C. Schwehr You have a valid point.

      If Iran wants war. Then lets have war. Have Congress pass a Declaration of War. What I don’t want is for Obama to use his Power as President to dictate the terms and conditions of War, without any oversight or approval by We the People, our Congress. We have checks and balances set up so that no one person or Authority in Government may arbitrarily send our troops to harms way and decide for how long and for what reason we will be in foreign lands. Yeah, civility is a pain in the *** to deal with sometimes, but it’s there for a reason. Perhaps it may prevent the rising of Dictators and militaristic Rulers like Hitler and Mussolini, or Napoleon, who go unto foreign adventures with an unlimited supply of money and resources, at the expense of our liberty, wealth and National security. Folks who want to dismiss the rule of law and the federal Constitution follow the same Progressive mentality. And that is what it is. A leftist foreign policy; unconstitutionally expanding the Powers of the federal Government without proper Representation. My fear is not a foreign enemy. We have the greatest Military and most prosperous Nation on Earth. My concern is the loss of Liberty and Independence.

      Hitler said, when announcing the Gestapo to the people, “An evil exists that threatens every man, woman and child of this great Nation. We must take steps to ensure our domestic security and protect our homeland.”

      Report Post »  
    • colt1860
      Posted on November 17, 2011 at 8:57pm

      @C. Schwehr Iran can’t bypass our high security and high intelligence networks. Plus, there have always been reports, as far back as four decades ago, that there are small suitcases of WMD strategically placed around the US by unknown sources. The FBI and other intelligence agencies have confirmed these rumors to at least have validity to its possibility. The US Government would to their advantage blame anyone in such an incident to further their foreign interests abroad. Men in robes wearing sandals and living in a desert with goats are not a threat to our Nation. Iran’s intention (if they plan to actually go forth) is suicidal idiocy. I do believe the benefactors in the prolongation of yet another war will not be us the American people. As we will be dead broke and have a massive federal Government on our hands. The benefactors will be the Contractors and international banks. Mark my words. And that’s the most realistic and historically accurate view out there. You cannot absolutely dismiss either, that at the sight of international conflict, especially wars, there has ALWAYS been a global uniting effort to implement an international body of Governance. As you might know already, it wouldn’t be a stretch to label the UN a Marxist institution. Their next step, I believe, will be Global Communist Body.

      “Our peculiar security is in the possession of a written Constitution. Let us not make it a blank paper by construction.” – Thomas Jefferson

      Report Post »  
    • colt1860
      Posted on November 17, 2011 at 9:03pm

      *Correct Link:

      A Conservative realistic view of foreign policy. Check it out:

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9SOVzMV2bc

      Report Post »  
  • Mr.Fitnah
    Posted on November 17, 2011 at 8:06pm

    That much kinetic energy you dont need a warhead.

    Report Post » Mr.Fitnah  
  • plastinoid
    Posted on November 17, 2011 at 8:05pm

    Hell, with this president i’ll bet China and the rest of our enemies have one being shipped to them already.

    Report Post » plastinoid  
  • BurntHills
    Posted on November 17, 2011 at 7:53pm

    thank God.

    Report Post » BurntHills  
    • Quagaar Warrior
      Posted on November 17, 2011 at 8:08pm

      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
      I want one for Christmas!
      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

      Report Post »  
    • Cocheta
      Posted on November 26, 2011 at 7:29pm

      Quagaar,

      Sorry buddy, all the hypersonic weapons are out of stock at ICBM Warehouse. They had plenty before Black Friday…

      Report Post » Cocheta  
  • bpost58
    Posted on November 17, 2011 at 7:46pm

    Please put Obama on it and send him to Kenya.

    Report Post »  
    • majorsco
      Posted on November 17, 2011 at 7:55pm

      Good idea, wrong target. Obama is so buddy buddy with all the muslim leaders of the world, I‘d have him ride the missle and target Iran’s president, so he can bring Islamic love to the biggest problem in the Islamic world.

      Report Post »  
    • BurntHills
      Posted on November 17, 2011 at 7:55pm

      better yet, just tell it where obama is currently partying away overseas AGAIN as Americans suffer.

      Report Post » BurntHills  
    • 1stAmendment
      Posted on November 17, 2011 at 7:59pm

      I’m on it !!

      Report Post »  
    • Al J Zira
      Posted on November 17, 2011 at 7:59pm

      Put Obama on it and he’ll re-rout it to China. If fact he’s probably already given them the drawings, there’s an election coming up and he needs the money.

      Report Post » Al J Zira  
    • V-MAN MACE
      Posted on November 18, 2011 at 7:20am

      Put all neocons and liberals on it and send them into the Sun.

      Report Post » V-MAN MACE  
  • chips1
    Posted on November 17, 2011 at 9:01pm

    Your statement is based of the incorrect premise that there is only one and not on the fact that they will be placed in numerous places. Missels are like potato chips. Bet you can’t fire just one.

    Report Post »  
  • scaldisnoel
    Posted on November 17, 2011 at 9:22pm

    Chips1 is correct. Your assumption is that there is only one launch location, which is not what the article suggests. i would assume that the time is based on the longest distance between any of several planned bases and the most distant potential target. 44 mph short of Mach 8 is, for anyone not being overly technical, Mach 8. Stop nitpicking.

    Report Post »  
  • Gh0stWrit3r
    Posted on November 17, 2011 at 9:28pm

    Also, remember the Planet is rotating in 1 direction at ~ 1000 mph, if the vehicle goes counter to the rotation the combined travel distance is significantly increased. If you have 1 in Hawaii, 1 in South Carolina, 1 in Alaska, 1 in North Dakota, and 1 in South Florida, you are in great shape to cover the globe and not have to work out any diplomatic issues. Not sure Obama is the right guy to have the launch codes for this though. Can we wait until a God fearing man has the keys to Air Force One?

    Report Post » Gh0stWrit3r  
  • scaldisnoel
    Posted on November 17, 2011 at 9:29pm

    Also, anyone targeted and hit by something traveling just short of Mach 8 isn’t going to be in any position to make fun of the military for missing Mach 8 by 44 mph.

    Report Post »  
  • country_hick
    Posted on November 17, 2011 at 9:37pm

    The speed of sound varies with the density and temperature of the media it is travelling through.

    Report Post »  
  • spfoam1
    Posted on November 17, 2011 at 10:01pm

    The speed of sound is relative to altitude, so it is different at sea level vs 30,000 feet.
    We wouldn’t be dumb enough to keep such a weapon in one place only.
    As you said, get your numbers correct.

    Report Post »  
  • RightThinking1
    Posted on November 17, 2011 at 11:58pm

    Coby,
    Before making snide remarks, you might want to educate yourself a bit. I have no idea where you obtained the 768 mph, but the 762.5 mph (6100/8) is perfectly reasonable number as it assumes an ambient temperature of around 60 deg., and sea level.
    Not that it matters, as the speed of sound will vary a good deal with barometric pressure (altitude, in this case) and air temperature. Generally, at altitude, it will travel slower. Got it?

    Report Post »  
  • gringoviejo
    Posted on November 18, 2011 at 3:06am

    There are different reasons, advantages, disadvantages for different delivery systems –
    Ballistic is pretty quick, like 10 to 40 minutes depending on range, but easily detected & tracked as goes high above horizon, with easy prediction of target from the trajectory. Hence decoys, maneuvering & multiple RVs, ABMs, etc.
    Sub-orbital / multi-orbital allows getting under the radar for longer, makes target prediction impossible as trajectory is not “parabolic” but “circular” and de-orbit point is not known. Also allows attack from directions other than frontal. BUT, requires a heavy vehicle as payload must include a braking-rocket to bring it out of orbit. Makes it an expensive system and reduces real payload. Low-orbit period is approx 1.5 hours so in theory any point on earth is also reachable within 60 minutes (allowing for ascent & descent times)
    I think the reasons for the Hypersonic weapon are 1) relatively small launcher, 2) not ballistic, 3) hard to predict due to maneuverability, 4) hard to intercept due to speed, 5) surgical, 6) high kinetic energy so “no need for explosives”, though it could presumably carry a low-yield nuke.

    Now, for Country_Hick, my highly respected fellow redneck (one who actually works, out in the sun & getting neck burnt, not a pasty dim & myopic inhabitant of the dank halls of liberal academia) :
    The temperature, speed & pitch of sound also varies according to the density of the media it is travelling through.
    MSN or CNN, an

    Report Post »  
  • gringoviejo
    Posted on November 18, 2011 at 3:16am

    got cut off there – was saying
    MSN or CNN anyone? I prefer caffeine.

    Used to think CNN was good for news, perhaps around 1990 they were, but they are so concentrated on how right and smart they are it is BORING.
    BBC have nice signature music but then they start talking – - -
    Happily don’t get PBS shoved at me here.

    Report Post »  
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