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Supersonic missiles, such as the BrahMos, Moskit, and Coyote, travel at speeds of Mach 2 to Mach 3 and use ramjet engines. They are popular for anti-ship warfare due to their high speed and short response time. They can be nuclear tipped and are a threat to friendly fleets. Laser and directed energy systems are being developed to shoot them down.
A supersonic missile is technically a missile that travels faster than Mach 1, as many cruise missiles do. However, sometimes the term is used specifically to refer to the next generation, faster missiles with speeds of Mach 2 to Mach 3. These missiles, which include the Indian-Russian BrahMos, the Russian Moskit (Mosquito), and the American Coyote, are popular for anti-ship warfare plans, because their high speed would only allow a theoretical response time of 20-30 seconds, as opposed to the 120-150 second response time allowed by subsonic missiles such as the American Tomahawk or the French Exocet. Supersonic missiles use ramjet engines, 4X for Moskit and Coyote and 2X for BrahMos.
Using ramjets for propulsion, these supersonic missiles are also known as air-breathing missiles. Ramjets use rapidly flowing air to oxidize rocket fuel, obviating the need for an onboard oxidizer, allowing for a higher payload-to-weight ratio and increasing top speed. They also lack moving parts, making them easier to mass-produce and convenient for supersonic rocket applications.
Supersonic missiles tend to be 2-3 times heavier than their subsonic counterparts, around three tons rather than just one. According to a NATO analysis, Russian Moskit missiles are among the greatest possible threats to friendly fleets, being used by the armies of Russia, China and probably Iran. Laser and directed energy systems are being developed to shoot down these supersonic missiles before they can hit friendly ships.
Many supersonic missiles are sea skimmers, traveling approximately 20 m (66 ft) through water for 50 – 300 km (31 – 186 miles) from their target. The Moskit, being slightly older, has a range of 120 km (75 miles) and the (newer) BrahMos and Coyote have a range of 300 km (186 miles). Supersonic missiles can be nuclear tipped, which would be devastating to enemy fleets if successfully deployed. The existence of these missiles questions the effectiveness of the capital ship paradigm in modern navies.
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