Verteidigung: Deutsche Hyperschallwaffen sollen Abschreckung stärken

Germany and NATO partner Britain are advancing rapidly in the development of long-range precision weapons in the hyperspeed sector, according to the arms company MBDA. "The cooperation is proceeding positively," MBDA Managing Director Thomas Gottschild told Deutsche Presse-Agentur. The company is working on weapons systems in its largely secretive development labs in the Bavarian town of Schrobenhausen, which are intended to be central to countering Russia's deterrence.

Hyperspeed weapons are so difficult to intercept due to their extremely high speed. Currently, only a few states, including China, Russia, and the United States, possess or are developing such weapons. MBDA granted dpa exclusive access to its development stage in Schrobenhausen for the first time. They are developing a hyperspeed glider (hypersonic glide vehicle) with a range of over 2,500 kilometers and capable of exceeding ten times the speed of sound.

The rocket engine lifts the glider to high altitudes where it then glides using a variable and unpredictable flight path to reach its target. The development requires technological expertise in areas such as propulsion, control, and aeromechanics. For air defense, an incoming hyperspeed glider is almost impossible to defend against.