Israel is developing an anti-hypersonic anti-aircraft missile system SkySonic
Rafael’s SkySonic is declared to have really fantastic capabilities, such as destroying real hypersonic targets, not Daggers and Zircons
The Israeli company Rafael, known for its Iron Dome and Sling of David missile defense systems, has announced the development of an anti-aircraft missile system designed to intercept targets moving at hypersonic speeds.
The new system has already been named SkySonic, and the system concept has already been demonstrated in a video by Rafael:
We are talking about real hypersonic rockets and aircraft equipped with a hypersonic direct-flow jet engine, not rockets that can reach such speeds thanks to a solid-fuel accelerator.
In addition to the quite logical declaration of the possibility of intercepting maneuvering targets, the video contains an extremely interesting detail – the course of destruction of targets. Given the short episode, it is difficult to say with 100% certainty, but it seems that the possibility of hitting the target in the face has been demonstrated. Whether this is true or an illusion of perception is up to everyone to decide:
At the same time, modern anti-missile systems have the ability to destroy targets only on oncoming courses. In order to catch up with a hypersonic target, it is necessary to move several times faster than it, i.e., the speed of the SkySonic rocket should be approximately Mach 5-10, i.e., 3.4 km/s. And for this system, the developer has already declared the interception of targets with a speed of Mach 10.
For this purpose, the SkySonic rocket is built on a two-stage system, and it is the second stage accelerator that allows the rocket to reach such high speeds.
At the same time, the main feature of SkySonic is not just the achievement of hypersonics, which requires a whole range of scientific developments in materials and fuel, but also the speed of the system itself and the guidance equipment at the terminal area.
And returning to the topic of engaging hypersonic targets in a pursuit, how to realize the latter in conditions when the warhead is actually flying in plasma is probably the most important secret of SkySonic. At the same time, we are talking about ensuring the operation of such a system in conditions of “space” oncoming speeds, approximately 7 km/s.
But Rafael said it will demonstrate the concept at the Paris Air Show in Le Bourget, which starts on June 19. And it looks like SkySonic can objectively count on becoming its main premiere.
