North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un attended the third test of a hypersonic missile, a faster and more dynamic version of a ballistic missile. It can fly at a low altitude and thus avoid radars.
Faster, more efficient and more stealthy. These are the three features that make dictator Kim Jong Un’s hypersonic missile so endearing. Since he personally attended the third test of the new technology, experts assume that it was North Korea’s “third luck.”
Unlike a ballistic missile, hypersonic speed is better to stay away from the radar. It does this by flying close to the Earth’s surface. Radars have difficulty detecting missiles on a curved surface. Ballistic missiles are launched in a parabola. As they rise to a higher level, it is easier for radar to find them.
The second “advantage” of a hypersonic missile is its speed. Its speed can reach 6200 km / h. This is at least five times the speed of sound. This speed makes it extremely difficult to intercept.
New technology also makes the missile particularly maneuverable. Sharp turns, weird twists, and pinpoint targets aren’t a problem. This makes the hypersonic missile very effective.
Little enthusiasm in Europe
“The fact that North Korea now has a hypersonic missile is not an immediate game changer,” says Sven Biskop, a defense policy expert at the Egmont Institute. It is said that great powers such as Russia, the United States and China have already mastered the technology. Other countries are smaller, according to Bloomberg Technology experience. “As a small country, it’s not very attractive to use these weapons against a large country,” Biscoe says. “It could provide an advantage over other, smaller powers in traditional use.”
“Although leaders are daring to flaunt certain technology very early on,” Biscope says. According to him, technology is still developing everywhere. Except for Europe. There is hardly any investment in missile technology here. Not that Europeans can’t develop this technology, and it didn’t get started. And because it hasn’t started, Europe remains dependent on American defense.
