Hypersonic arms race heats up as US builds high-speed missiles

[unhappycamper]

http://atimes.com/2016/03/hypersonic-arms-race-heats-up-as-us-builds-high-speed-missiles/



New hypersonic platforms to counter Chinese, Russian efforts

Hypersonic arms race heats up as US builds high-speed missiles
By Bill Gertz on March 8, 2016

Defense Secretary Ash Carter disclosed last week that the Pentagon’s new high-technology weapons to deal with threats from China and Russia will include ultra-high speed missiles.

Carter revealed during a speech in California that part of the $71.8 billion for weapons research and development this year will fund “new hypersonic missiles that can fly over five times the speed of sound.”

Days earlier, the general in charge of Air Force weapons research, Maj. Gen. Thomas Masiello, revealed that two technology prototypes of hypersonic strike weapons, a scramjet powered cruise missile and a hypersonic glider, could be ready in four years.

“We’re looking for more singles, base hits, versus trying to go for a home run,” Masiello said of hypersonic missile development during a conference Feb. 26. The effort will build on several tests in recent years of a Boeing X-51 scramjet hypersonic missile.

[bemildred]

1. ‘Beheading’ Kim: Preemptive strikes are back and headed for China

Washington and Seoul’s rancor at North Korea in the wake of its missile tests, illustrated by negotiations on the joint deployment of Thaad (Theater High Altitude Air Defense), has shaken things up in ways that the US undoubtedly finds gratifying. Russia and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) supported a new UN Security Council sanctions resolution and have delivered, at the very least, stern language.

Russia delivered an unprecedented smackdown of Kim Jong-un for his most recent outburst of furious nuclear bloviating:

“We consider it to be absolutely impermissible to make public statements containing threats to deliver some ‘preventive nuclear strikes’ against opponents,” the Russian foreign ministry said Monday in response to North Korea’s threats.

I would say that Kim had more of a point than usual, since the object of his indignation—the 2016 iteration of the annual US-ROK military exercises—contained, in addition to twice as many troops as it usually does, some interesting elements, thoughtfully revealed to the South Korean media and picked up by the Washington Post:

http://atimes.com/2016/03/beheading-kim-preemptive-strikes-are-back-and-headed-for-china/

[PeoViejo]

2. Missles are not the problem with NK

Any per-emptive attack would likely be delivered by ship, like the North Korean Cargo Ship that is sitting in Subic Bay at the moment. The US just moved the 7th Fleet command ship from Japan to Subic as a precaution. Just before it arrives, a North Korean freighter shows-up and conveniently gets impounded. It's too easy.