Hypersonic is faster than Mach 5, while supersonic is faster than Mach 1. The distinction is relevant to defense, with hypersonic aircraft being developed for faster attacks. The US military plans to develop the Hypersonic Cruise Vehicle with a flight speed of Mach 10.
Simply put, hypersonic is considered to be greater than Mach 5 (five times the speed of sound), while supersonic is simply greater than Mach 1. The difference is one of degree, related to certain airflow dynamics, but also The supersonic/hypersonic distinction has relevance to the near-future defense world, where aerospace companies must compete to give their home countries’ militaries the fastest bombers and fighter planes possible. Propulsion methods also differ markedly between supersonic and hypersonic regimes, with air-breathing, or ramjet, designs being more popular for higher speeds.
Hypersonic is one of three rough classifications for airflow regimes: subsonic (less than Mach 0.8), transonic (Mach 0.8 – 1.2), supersonic (Mach 1.2 – 5.0), and finally hypersonic (Mach 5.0+). By comparison, an orbiting Space Shuttle travels at about Mach 23. Faster conventional aircraft, such as the SR-71 Blackbird, achieve flight speeds of about Mach 3.2. Scramjets, of which there have been only a few successful demonstrations thus far, burn fuel using a supersonic intake valve, reaching speeds around Mach 7. Successful hypersonic flights have been conducted by NASA with the Boeing X-43 and by the University of the Queensland Center for Hypersonics in a project called HyShot. In its most recent test, the HyShot hit Mach 8.
The US military has numerous plans in development for additional hypersonic aircraft, including the Hypersonic Cruise Vehicle (HCV), also known as the HyperSoar, a bomber with a planned flight speed of Mach 10, the prototype of which could be built as early as 2010 The objective of this aircraft would be to hit anywhere in the world within 2 hours. It could carry a smaller payload than conventional bombers, due to the massive kinetic destructive capability involved in a horizontally moving bomb at Mach 10. This system could be combined with glider-assisted bombing for an even faster attack.
HyperSoar would be a welcome alternative to Trident missiles modified with a non-nuclear payload considered by the US military, which are dangerous because it would be impossible for foreign countries to distinguish between a nuclear Trident and a non-nuclear Trident until it strikes, possibly causing a full-scale nuclear counterattack.
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