Erlangen 2026 – scientific programme

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AGA: Arbeitsgruppe Physik und Abrüstung

AGA 1: Missile Defense and Outer Space

AGA 1.2: Invited Talk

Wednesday, March 18, 2026, 15:00–16:00, KH 00.016

Technical and Security Aspects of Hypersonic Weapons — •David Wright — Laboratory for Nuclear Security and Policy, MIT

Hypersonic weapons travel faster than Mach 5 and use atmospheric forces to glide at low altitudes. Boost-glide vehicles (BGV) use rocket boosters to reach high speeds and then glide without powered. Hypersonic cruise missiles (HCM) are also boosted to high speeds but use a scramjet engine to provide power during part of their atmospheric flight.

Hypersonic weapons have gained considerable attention due to their purported advantages over existing missiles - including short delivery times, high maneuverability, and invulnerability to defenses which some proponents have said will "revolutionize warfare". However, technical analysis and computer simulations show that the fundamental physics of hypersonic flight severely constrains their performance. Comparison with existing ballistic missiles shows that many claims about the advantages of hypersonic weapons are overstated or incorrect.

This talk will discuss the physics and technology of BGVs and HCMs and their limitations in terms of speed, range, and maneuverability

Keywords: Hypersonic weapons