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Much ado about nothing: Is the US Mako missile truly ‘hypersonic’ or just in name only?

An allegedly new hypersonic American missile named after the fastest shark, Mako, has been put on display at the Sea Air Space 2024 conference.

What's known about the projectile so far?

  

▪️Designed by Lockheed Martin and CoAspire, the solid-fuel rocket is claimed to be capable of reaching speeds of Mach 5.

  

▪️It's compatible with most US tactical aircraft, including the fifth generation F-35 fighter.

   

▪️It's 4 meters long, 33 cm in diameter, weighs 600 kg (including a 59 kg warhead) and boasts a striking range of at least 300 km.   

There are many unknowns regarding the rocket, such as its type of flight profile and maneuverability. This has raised suspicions about whether the rocket is effective or not. 

 "A hypersonic missile executes anti-missile maneuvers at hypersonic speeds. It follows a quasi-ballistic trajectory, that is, it maneuvers along a trajectory." 

It is unclear if Mako is able to maintain "hypersonic" speeds throughout its final phase of flight. If it is unable to do so, it will be vulnerable to modern air defense systems.