Ten-Minute Warning: The Hypersonic Threat

A Chinese hypersonic missile targeting either U.S. coast would leave room for “about 10 minutes of warning time.” Zachary Krevor, CEO of Stratolaunch, is building vehicles to help the Pentagon learn to detect, track, and intercept this threat. Today, Krevor joins School of War to explain how China and Russia have outpaced the U.S. in hypersonic weapons testing, why AI-enabled missile “swarms” may be on the horizon,  and what it will take for America to defend itself against them.

2:32 What Makes a Weapon Hypersonic?

4:47 The Real-Life Top Gun: Maverick

6:14 From Model Airplanes to Hypersonics

9:09 Why America Stopped Investing in Hypersonics

10:55 Two Types of Hypersonic Weapons

14:09 Glide Bodies vs. Cruise Missiles

15:44 Surviving the Heat of Mach 5

20:20 Testing America’s Hypersonic Technology

23:20 China and Russia’s Hypersonic Advantage

25:24 How to Stop a Hypersonic Missile

29:09 The Coming Age of Hypersonic Swarms