Jamie Seidel stresses that hypersonic missiles could combine speed with guidance and greater reach, making older missile comparisons inadequate. Alex Clarke accepts that they are very dangerous, while disputing predictions that they leave no prospect of defence. Japanese railgun development and lasers that add to a missile's existing heat load are offered as possible countermeasures. Their effectiveness against the threat remains a development question. The historical comparison runs both ways: new attacks have acquired counters, and apparently invulnerable defences have later been penetrated.
Notable Point · 24:05-26:01
Hypersonic missiles do not end the defence contest
Hypersonic weapons are a grave threat within the recurring historical contest between offensive innovations and new counters.