Politics is a dirty word

With technical advice from China, North Korea's arms manufacturers are well down the path of perfecting ramjet engines which will propel rockets and aircraft at more than five times the speed of sound. Engine tests were conducted in March and development has proceeded. Missiles travelling at hypersonic speed are almost impossible to intercept and destroy.

Both China and Russia are reported to have test fired long range hypersonic missiles capable of flying at five times the speed of sound. The US hopes to develop its own hypersonic missiles within three or four years. The Russian RS-28 Sarmat missile has been designed to outrun anti-missile systems and reach the US within 12 minutes of launch. The missile has been designed to carry nuclear warheads of 40 megatons. The Chinese air to air missile has a range of over 300 km and probably carries thermobaric warheads.

Hypersonic cruise missiles which fly at five times the speed of sound and are practically undetectable and unstoppable, are expected to be deployed by Russia, China and India at least two years before the US has its hypersonic systems operational. The Russians plan to have their missiles on ships, submarines and aircraft by the middle of 2017 but military analysts say it is likely to be at least 2020 before the US missiles are ready for use.