Hypersonic Weapons — Who Has Them and Why It Matters

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. They’re at the center of escalating competition between the US on one side and Russia and China on the other. And their use in combat has raised alarms. Ukraine claimed that Russia used a hypersonic missile to attack Kiev in early 2024. It’s not just the world’s military powers that seek to elicit awe with a hypersonic arsenal: Yemen’s Houthi rebe