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The Inquiry: What are hypersonic missiles and why do they matter?

Beijing hypersonic missile

11/11/2021 GMT

What are hypersonic missiles and why do they matter?

BBC World Service - The Inquiry, What are hypersonic missiles and why do they matter?

Will a new breed of hypersonic missiles make the world a more dangerous place?

Following a recent test in China, Tanya Beckett asks if a new breed of hypersonic missiles will make the world a more dangerous place.

America, China and Russia are engaged in a new arms race, spending billions to develop new missile technology, but how different are these hypersonic missiles from what has gone before? And as countries work out how they might use them, are they increasing the risk of triggering conflict?    

Contributors: 
Dr Gustav Gressel, Berlin office, European Council on Foreign Relations 
Dr Laura Grego, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Dr Marina Favaro, Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy, University of Hamburg
Dr Cameron Tracy, Centre for International Security and Cooperation, Stanford University

Presenter: Tanya Beckett
Producers: Bob Howard and Sheila Cook
Researcher: Chris Blake

Image: Military parade in Beijing marks 70th anniversary of Chinese People's Republic (Credit: Zoya Rusinova/TASS via Getty Images)

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