No. 1235 Hypersonic Weapons and Military Build-up Race
Under the dreadful impacts from the coronavirus infection and climate change, a kind of ‘new cold war’ is unleased: development of hypersonic arsenal and creation of military alliances. But what is required is to achieve détente and disarmament.
WHAT SHOULD BE DONE IS DISARMAMENT
Three nations, the United States, Russia and China, are zealous to develop hypersonic missiles. China succeeded in developing this type of weapons in 2014 and Russia conducted testing in 2016. The Chinese military deployed October this year new ballistic missiles of a hypersonic glide vehicle type, and the Russian military, too, in the same month, succeeded in testing the most advanced hypersonic cruise missiles.
Meanwhile the United States, which is delayed in the development efforts, is in crisis-ridden and planned to put hypersonic weapons operationally ready by the mid-2020s. Hypersonic arsenal flies with a speed Mach 5, or 1,700 m per second and 5,700 km per hour and hits targets, escaping enemy’s anti-missile systems with irregular trajectories.
Japan, too, plans operational deployment
Japan has Aegis vessels equipped with SM-3 Block IIA in its missile defense system, but it does not cope with hypersonic missiles. And therefore, the government adopted in 2020 a strategy of Stand-Off Defense Plan, by which attacks are to be waged outside the range of anti-air missiles of enemies. It will practically use hypersonic, guided cruise vehicles (hypersonic glide vehicles) by early 2030s. The objective is to defend the Southwestern Islands and Taiwan.
The ‘supersonic glide vehicles to defend islands’ can be launched from vessels and from surface, penetrating a deck of aircraft carriers of enemies. The Japanese government attempts to equip with this new type of weapon, engaging in a joint development project between the Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA) and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Inc. When a launching range is extended, it will be possible to make a first strike on bases in China and Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).
Negotiation on nuclear disarmament is stranded
Meanwhile, international negotiation on reducing nuclear missiles does not go smoothly. The US repealed August 2019 the INF Treaty (Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty) concluded in 1987 between her and the Soviet Union, while Russia expressed suspension of fulfilling obligations. The two countries extended the bilateral treaty, the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (the new START) till 2026, but problems remain in surveillance and verification.
Toward a new Cold War
Military alliances are being created as well as transformed. Nine Eastern European nations are added to the existing NATO potential, the US requesting further involvements. Recently the NATO expelled Russian diplomats from Brussels, freezing their relations built up after the end of East-West Cold War.
In the Indo-Pacific region the AUKUS, a military alliance of US, UK and Australia, was set up September this year, while Russia and China vigilantly see the new entity as Eastern NATO. A ‘new cold war’ has begun.
A weapon development race leads to an infinite competition in military capabilities. Crucial are détente and disarmament amid the crises of corona virus and climate change.
米露中の３国は、極超音速ミサイル開発に血道を上げている。中国は２０１４年に開発し、ロシアは16年に実験を行った。中国軍は今年10月、極超音速滑空兵器の新型弾道ミサイルを配備、ロシア軍も同月、最新型の極超音速巡航ミサイルの発射実験を成功させている。
開発で遅れている米国は危機感を強め、20年代半ばまでに極超音速兵器実戦配備を目指す。極超音速兵器は、マッハ５（秒速１７００ｍ·時速６２００㎞）で飛行し、変則軌道で敵のミサイル防空システムをかいくぐり目標物に命中する。
日本も実戦配備へ
日本のミサイル防衛システムは、イージス艦にＳＭ―３ブロックⅡＡが装備されているが「極超音速ミサイル」には有効でない。そのため、20年に敵の対空ミサイルの射程外から攻撃する「スタンドオフ防衛」戦略をとり、30年初頭までに極超音速巡航誘導弾（超高速滑空弾）の実用化を目指している。目的は、南西諸島と台湾の防衛だ。
「島嶼防衛超高速滑空弾」は艦艇や地上から発射可能で、敵空母の甲板も貫通する新型弾頭の装着も検討され、防衛装備庁と三菱重工が共同開発している。射程距離を伸ばせば、中国や朝鮮の基地の先制攻撃も可能だ。
核軍縮交渉は後退
一方、核ミサイル削減交渉は遅滞している。１９８７年に米ソ間で締結されたＩＮＦ条約（中距離核戦力全廃条約）を米国は２０１９年８月に破棄し、ロシアも義務履行の停止を表明した。また、米露の二国間条約である新戦略兵器削減条約（新ＳＴＡＲＴ）は26年まで延長したが、その監視・検証に問題を残す。
「新たな冷戦」へ
軍事同盟の締結と再編も進み、旧来のＮＡＴＯ(北大西洋条約機構)に東欧９カ国を加え、米国が関与強化を求めている。また、ＮＡＴＯはロシアの外交官を追放し、東西冷戦後からのロシアとＮＡＴＯ間の関係は冷え込んでいる。
インド太平洋地域では、米英豪の軍事同盟（ＡＵＫＵＳ）が21年９月に発足し、露中はこれを「東のＮＡＴＯ」と警戒するなど、「新たな冷戦」が進んでいる。
兵器開発競争は際限のない軍拡競争を招く。コロナ危機・地球環境危機で求められているのは、緊張緩和と軍縮だ。
英訳版↓
No. 1235 Hypersonic Weapons and Military Build-up Race
Under the dreadful impacts from the coronavirus infection and climate change, a kind of ‘new cold war’ is unleased: development of hypersonic arsenal and creation of military alliances. But what is required is to achieve détente and disarmament.
WHAT SHOULD BE DONE IS DISARMAMENT
Three nations, the United States, Russia and China, are zealous to develop hypersonic missiles. China succeeded in developing this type of weapons in 2014 and Russia conducted testing in 2016. The Chinese military deployed October this year new ballistic missiles of a hypersonic glide vehicle type, and the Russian military, too, in the same month, succeeded in testing the most advanced hypersonic cruise missiles.
Meanwhile the United States, which is delayed in the development efforts, is in crisis-ridden and planned to put hypersonic weapons operationally ready by the mid-2020s. Hypersonic arsenal flies with a speed Mach 5, or 1,700 m per second and 5,700 km per hour and hits targets, escaping enemy’s anti-missile systems with irregular trajectories.
Japan, too, plans operational deployment
Japan has Aegis vessels equipped with SM-3 Block IIA in its missile defense system, but it does not cope with hypersonic missiles. And therefore, the government adopted in 2020 a strategy of Stand-Off Defense Plan, by which attacks are to be waged outside the range of anti-air missiles of enemies. It will practically use hypersonic, guided cruise vehicles (hypersonic glide vehicles) by early 2030s. The objective is to defend the Southwestern Islands and Taiwan.
The ‘supersonic glide vehicles to defend islands’ can be launched from vessels and from surface, penetrating a deck of aircraft carriers of enemies. The Japanese government attempts to equip with this new type of weapon, engaging in a joint development project between the Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA) and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Inc. When a launching range is extended, it will be possible to make a first strike on bases in China and Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).
Negotiation on nuclear disarmament is stranded
Meanwhile, international negotiation on reducing nuclear missiles does not go smoothly. The US repealed August 2019 the INF Treaty (Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty) concluded in 1987 between her and the Soviet Union, while Russia expressed suspension of fulfilling obligations. The two countries extended the bilateral treaty, the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (the new START) till 2026, but problems remain in surveillance and verification.
Toward a new Cold War
Military alliances are being created as well as transformed. Nine Eastern European nations are added to the existing NATO potential, the US requesting further involvements. Recently the NATO expelled Russian diplomats from Brussels, freezing their relations built up after the end of East-West Cold War.
In the Indo-Pacific region the AUKUS, a military alliance of US, UK and Australia, was set up September this year, while Russia and China vigilantly see the new entity as Eastern NATO. A ‘new cold war’ has begun.
A weapon development race leads to an infinite competition in military capabilities. Crucial are détente and disarmament amid the crises of corona virus and climate change.
November 24, 2021