12 votes

Russia has developed a missile system capable of moving more than 20 times the speed of sound.

10 comments

  1. [9]
    stromm
    Link
    There's a lot left unsaid or simply avoided. The MACH 20 (also claimed to be MACH 27) is a max speed at VERY high altitude. It doesn't fly that fast for long below 80,000'. There's simply too much...

    There's a lot left unsaid or simply avoided.

    1. The MACH 20 (also claimed to be MACH 27) is a max speed at VERY high altitude. It doesn't fly that fast for long below 80,000'. There's simply too much friction.

    2. This isn't a stand-alone vehicle. It requires being carried to low-orbit by an ICBM. Of which Russia only has a small number remaining functional. IIRC, less than 50 that can carry this vehicle.

    3. Railguns are real and deployed by the US and some of it's allies. Those fire unguided small projectile and are able to hit targets traveling at 10,000mph... given enough warning.

    This is typical Russia grandstanding.

    12 votes
    1. [7]
      unknown user
      Link Parent
      For reference to those reading, that's Mach 13... inside the atmosphere.

      Railguns are real and deployed by the US and some of it's allies. Those fire unguided small projectile and are able to hit targets traveling at 10,000mph... given enough warning.

      For reference to those reading, that's Mach 13... inside the atmosphere.

      10 votes
      1. [6]
        stromm
        Link Parent
        I may not understand your point with "inside the atmosphere". The targets are small objects not vehicles. They are shoot and forget, incredibly light in weight and short burn duration. Vehicles...

        I may not understand your point with "inside the atmosphere".

        The targets are small objects not vehicles. They are shoot and forget, incredibly light in weight and short burn duration.

        Vehicles QUICKLY lose speed within the atmosphere because of friction. Even the space shuttles, which entered at in excess of Mach 25 (@400,000'), would not be able to safely stay above Mach 7 (using 762mph as a max per Mach) for very long and not below 60,000'.

        1. [5]
          unknown user
          Link Parent
          I was merely commenting how cool it is that something can reliably travel at hypersonic velocities—vehicle or not—and not self-incinerate. If we want to go in the direction of pedantic, then I...

          I was merely commenting how cool it is that something can reliably travel at hypersonic velocities—vehicle or not—and not self-incinerate.

          If we want to go in the direction of pedantic, then I don’t understand your use of Mach numbers to refer to the space shuttle’s velocity, because Mach number is dependent on atmospheric pressure amongst other things, which obviously doesn’t make any sense when you’re talking about altitudes above the Karman Line.

          2 votes
          1. [4]
            stromm
            Link Parent
            I was not being pendantic and if you go back and re-read my comment I addressed the "speed of Mach". I fully understand that Mach is the speed of sound relative to atmospheric density (not...

            I was not being pendantic and if you go back and re-read my comment I addressed the "speed of Mach". I fully understand that Mach is the speed of sound relative to atmospheric density (not actually altitude although that is a large factor when on Earth).

            If you notice, the article uses the speed of sound at sea level as a reference when calculating Mach. This is why I made note of that same speed myself.

            1 vote
            1. [3]
              unknown user
              Link Parent
              Yeah. Instead you felt the need to interject into a comment that could’ve just stood alone by describing something as being cool or having a wow factor, and ended up ruining the whole thing.

              Yeah. Instead you felt the need to interject into a comment that could’ve just stood alone by describing something as being cool or having a wow factor, and ended up ruining the whole thing.

              1. [2]
                stromm
                Link Parent
                Huh, I didn't realize that someone is OK with misinformation...

                Huh, I didn't realize that someone is OK with misinformation...

                1. unknown user
                  Link Parent
                  What—exactly, is misinformation?

                  What—exactly, is misinformation?

    2. unknown user
      Link Parent
      This is the only geopolitical currency Russia has had for decades. I'm surprised you expect anything different.

      This is typical Russia grandstanding.

      This is the only geopolitical currency Russia has had for decades. I'm surprised you expect anything different.

      2 votes
  2. paulfromatlanta
    Link
    Russia has long had the ability to destroy most human life - what they don't have is the ability to so completely hit American forces so that Russia will not also be destroyed. A faster missile is...

    Russia has long had the ability to destroy most human life - what they don't have is the ability to so completely hit American forces so that Russia will not also be destroyed. A faster missile is troubling but doesn't change the basic mutual assured destruction equation.

    6 votes