Rafael Advanced Defense Systems announced that it is developing a new interceptor missile called Sky Sonic geared specifically at countering the increasing hypersonic threat.
Hypersonic missiles are a new and growing threat in the world. These are missiles that can travel faster than Mach 5 (five times the speed of sound) and also manoeuvre or glide in unpredictable ways, making them hard to detect and intercept. Several countries, such as Russia, China, Iran and North Korea, claim to have developed or tested hypersonic missiles in recent years.
To counter this threat, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems has announced that it is developing a new hypersonic missile interceptor called Sky Sonic. This is a multi-stage interceptor that uses a hit-to-kill system, which means it destroys the target by colliding with it at high speed. Sky Sonic is designed with an open architecture that allows maximum flexibility and integration with other systems.
Rafael has been working on Sky Sonic for several years in secret and has not yet conducted any live tests. However, the company plans to showcase the weapon design at the Paris Air Show next week, focusing on the European market. Rafael has also presented the project to the US and received positive feedback.
According to Dr Yuval Steinitz, Chairman of Rafael, Sky Sonic is an innovative and unique development of its kind for the hypersonic weapon threat. He said that Rafael has identified a marked increase and interest in the international arena with proven operational capabilities and a geopolitical reality that has created many opportunities.
Sky Sonic is based on Rafael’s extensive experience and expertise in developing air defence systems and missile interceptors, such as Iron Dome, David’s Sling and SPYDER. Sky Sonic will be able to detect, track and intercept hypersonic missiles throughout their trajectory, using advanced sensors and algorithms.
Rafael claims that Sky Sonic will be able to provide a comprehensive defensive response to hypersonic threats, which present numerous complex challenges for existing systems. Sky Sonic will be able to travel at hypersonic speeds and cope with the extreme conditions of heat and pressure. Sky Sonic will also be able to manoeuvre and adjust its course according to the target’s movements.
Rafael hopes that Sky Sonic will become a game-changer in the field of air defence and provide a reliable and effective solution for its customers around the world.
