Why the US Is Playing Catch-Up on Hypersonic Weapons: Explainer

Hypersonic weapons are so fast, their speed can change the surrounding air molecules. They can carry a nuclear warhead, fly low and be hard to detect. Because of their potential to transform modern warfare, these weapons have become a key front in the intensifying race for military dominance between the US on one side and China and Russia on the other.

While the latter two have already deployed hypersonic projectiles, the US has lagged behind. Now, US military officials have asked to send the Army’s long-delayed Dark Eagle hypersonic weapon to the Middle East for possible use against Iran, which ...