Notable Point · 28:00-28:44

Hypersonic labels need flight-profile context

Briefly reaching hypersonic speed does not establish sustained performance across the weapon's full flight profile.

Notes

The term "hypersonic" is used too loosely when it describes a weapon that exceeds the threshold only during a short part of its journey. A brief peak does not demonstrate sustained hypersonic flight. That distinction matters when the label becomes shorthand for the claim that a modern surface ship cannot be defended. Speed remains a serious threat, but assessment should distinguish the peak from the full flight profile.