"We Could Shoot Them Down"

OK, More Hypersonic Scare Stuff

Raytheon (America's top missile maker) says it could develop missiles capable of shooting down hypersonic weapons....
     If we get busy providing "sustained funding and a national sense of urgency."

First: did you know Raytheon was Mr. Big in the missile business? (Aviation Week says they are.)
       My image of Raytheon goes way back. Waaay back.  
       Vacuum tubes. That far back. Raytheon, high in the ham radio* pantheon of tubes. 
   

**

Sort of looks like a missile

Second: Can you image how hard it is to shoot down a hypersonic craft going Mach 6? By the time you get your pistol out of the holster, this guy has run you through (saber talk).

Hot.

IMPORTANT?  Tom Bussing, vice president of Raytheon’s Advanced Missile Systems thinks so (me too), saying, "The relatively sudden rise of hypersonic strike capability in China and Russia is a remarkable thing that has occurred, and it has fundamentally changed the nature of warfare'.” 

   

Yeah, I've been reporting that, though mostly about China.  So Russia too? Darn.

But they are not worried at Raytheon. More business! But somehow I'm worried about America doing the sustained funding and a national sense of urgency bit, what with paying 99% of our attention to the Trump-go-round. 

Read the piece in Aviation Week here.



* I was a ham at 13 in Texas. Lotsa tubes. Another story.
** A Raytheon 5687