Speed can create safety by shortening an opponent's reaction time, but it is not a free advantage. Hypersonic glide vehicles inherit much of their energy and predictability from ballistic flight, while tiny course errors grow into large misses over distance. Tight maneuvering is difficult at very high speed because the weapon cannot slow for a turn in the way a racing car can. The subsonic Harpoon provides the contrast: low sea-skimming flight and maneuverability let it hide in surface clutter. The useful comparison is therefore not speed alone but the combination of approach profile, accuracy, turning performance, and the defense a missile must penetrate.
Chapter · 31:45-35:02
Hypersonic speed trades away maneuverability and accuracy
Hypersonic speed compresses an opponent's reaction time, but ballistic predictability and wide turning radii can make a slower sea-skimming weapon more maneuverable and accurate.