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Review and Evaluation of the Air Force Hypersonic Technology Program (1998) / Chapter Skim
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C ANALYSIS OF THE VULNERABILITY OF A HYPERSONIC MISSILE TO SURFACE-TO-AIR DEFENSIVE MISSILES
Pages 54-58

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From page 54...
... . Characteristics of a Surface-to-Air Missile System The characteristics of modern surface-to-air missile systems can be estimated from information in the open literature (Zaloga, 1993; Barton, 1995; Lemansky and Nenartovich, 54 TABLE C-1 Hypothetical Command-Guided, Surface-toAir Missile System Parameter Value of Parameter Reference radar range Radar beamwidth Radar measurement rate Maximum target altitude Maximum target speed Reaction time Warhead weight Missile time constant Average missile speed 160 nautical miles 0.7 degrees 10 Hertz 120,000 feet Mach 10 8 seconds 330 pounds 1.5 seconds Mach 5 1995; Yefremov, 1996; Bunkin and Svetov, 1997; Zaloga, 1997a; Zaloga,1997b)
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From page 55...
... It is not unreasonable to assume that a lower speed missile might be smaller than a higher speed missile and may also have a lower radar cross section. The maximum potential interception distance of the defensive system using a fire control radar with an Ro of 160 nautical miles was analyzed and plotted in Figure C-1 as a function of missile radar cross section for three missile speeds.
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From page 56...
... _ ., 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Mach 6.5 missile Mach 8 missile REVIEW AND EVALUATION OF THE AIR FORCE HYPERSONIC TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM 0.01 0.1 1.0 Missile radar cross section (square meters) FIGURE C-2 Time from maximum intercept point until missile could pass over defense site, as a function of radar cross section.
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From page 57...
... was used to estimate the miss distance of the hypothetical surface-to-air missile system. Radar antenna beamwidth, radar measurement rate, missile time constant, target speed, target radar cross section, and target maneuvers were the inputs to this part of the analysis.
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From page 58...
... This analysis suggests that reducing a hypersonic missile's radar cross section is a meaningful way of reducing its vulnerability. SUMMARY OF WORK TO DATE Hypersonic missiles are within the design envelopes of several modern air defense systems that have been designed to defend against tactical ballistic missiles with hypersonic terminal velocities.
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Key Terms

  • radar cross
  • hypersonic missile
  • square meter
  • miss distance
  • nautical miles

  • interception range
  • maximum potential
  • potential interception
  • air defense
  • missile speed

  • miss due
  • missile speeds
  • target radar
  • lethal radius
  • speed missile

  • modern air
  • tactical ballistic
  • ballistic missiles
  • hypersonic missiles
  • angle noise

  • hypothetical interceptor
  • total miss
  • missile described
  • noise dominates
  • target speed

  • missile varies
  • missile time
  • measurement rate
  • missile radar
  • lower speed


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