Hypersonic missile technology can turn intelligence and military forever.

Miniature shuttles and hypersonic technology can cause problems in all types of defense systems. The miniature shuttles can also operate as Hypersonic Glide Vehicles, HGV. And those systems can operate as the new types of fractional orbital bombardment systems. The rocket launches the shuttle to the orbiter, and then it can wait in order to return to base or attack its targets. 

Those shuttles can be launched to the orbiter. There they wait orders to dive into the atmosphere. Those miniature shuttles can act as super kamikaze drones. That can carry nuclear warheads in its cargo bays. The shuttle can dive into the atmosphere and detonate at the target. The miniature shuttle X-37B. Made its 908-day mission. 

There, it tested new military equipment. Like  Photovoltaic Radio-Frequency Antenna Module, PRAM. The X-37B is not designed to carry humans. It could take an astronaut into its cargo bay, but the main purpose of that small spacecraft is to act as a combination of satellite and spacecraft. Those miniature shuttles can operate. In reconnaissance missions. These are targeted at ground targets or other satellites. Those systems can also operate as reusable reconnaissance satellites. 

X-37B

And in a warzone. They can drop miniature drones or bombs into the target areas. The shuttle can simply take kinetic energy, or flechette rounds, or some type of glide bombs into the atmosphere. Or the shuttle can also drop nuclear grenade-equipped glide systems to target areas. 

Those shuttles can have the classified stealth versions. The stealth HGV that is parked on the Earth orbiter can be an excellent tool for a surprise attack. When the Chinese miniature shuttle flew in formation with six interesting targets, that could be the test, where that shuttle delivered nuclear weapons into space. And then collected them away. 

That  system can deliver things like space mines. Those mines are nuclear weapons that some systems deliver to space. Then those mines wait for a command to explode. That causes the EMP pulse. And destroys many satellites. The conventional space mine, equipped with conventional explosives, can also have a destructive effect. It can deliver debris. All around it. And that denies the use of that orbiter. 

Above: Hypersonic missiles can be similar to the Pegasus rocket. 

The miniature shuttle is basically. One form of the drone. Hypersonic drones have a combination of ramjet and rocket engines. When the system rises from the ground, the iris at the front of the ramjet engine is closed. The engine uses the internal oxygenizer. In that case, the rocket-ramjet acts as a rocket engine. When the speed of the aircraft rises high enough, the system opens the iris. 

And then the system starts to breathe atmospheric air. That kind of space system can operate in the deep atmosphere and at the Earth orbiter. It is also possible to install the jet engines in that system. That allows the jet fighter to fly at low altitude, and when that system requires high speed. It can change the fuel transmission to a ramjet. Or the rocket turbojet can involve a rocket engine in its afterburner. 

When an aircraft requires a high altitude, it closes the iris between the afterburner and turbine. Then the system starts to drive propellant and oxygen to that afterburner. Another version is that the iris or flap is at the front of the turbojet. When the system must rise to an extremely high altitude, the flap at the front of the engine closes, and the system starts to use oxygen stored in the oxygen tank. 

“ASAT (Anti-satellite) missile launch on Sep. 13, 1985, at the Pacific Missile Test Range, CA.(Wikipedia)

The hypersonic aircraft with speed.  Mach 5+ can also operate. As the platform for anti-satellite missiles. The missile can be under the hypersonic interceptor’s body, and then the system jumps up. When that system is at the top of its ballistic jump. It can release its ASAT weapon. That gives the weapon a higher altitude capacity than the F-15. This type of system can be the tool. 

That poses a very big threat to satellites. Satellites play a primary role in modern warfare. That makes them a very important target for the opponent. The hypersonic aircraft, which can operate as a supersonic aircraft and a hypersonic system, can lurk in lower altitudes. When the radar and optical systems detect a target, the aircraft can travel under it. And then accelerate and launch the ASAT system. 

A Kh-47M2 Kinzhal being carried by a Mikoyan MiG-31K interceptor (Wikipedia)

The hypersonic missiles are not always small, air-launched systems. The hypersonic missile can be the same size as the silo-based ICBM. These kinds of systems are extremely dangerous. The ICBM launches a hypersonic missile over the atmosphere. Then the system falls back, and the ramjet engine starts. 

The hypersonic systems that can fly at high speed. The upper atmosphere can be a hard target for air defense. Those systems can fly in waves, and some of them can drop sub ammunition. Against air defense. The hypersonic missile is not necessarily a scramjet-using, air-breathing system. The hypersonic missile can be quite a regular missile. That has wings with the ability to travel in the stratosphere. 

The hypersonic systems can also be mounted on regular intercontinental ballistic missiles. The ICBM takes a hypersonic missile to the position where it should dive back into the atmosphere. There, the hypersonic missile starts its Ramjet or Scramjet engines. And that makes these types of systems and their trajectories very hard to predict. The hypersonic weapon can also involve things. Like ECM and EMP systems, whose mission is to suppress the air defense. 

https://asiatimes.com/2023/12/chinas-space-plane-puts-mysterious-wingmen-in-orbit/

https://www.rudebaguette.com/en/2025/09/it-was-all-planned-us-militarys-secret-908-day-space-mission-that-reveals-hidden-solar-power-weapon-technology/

https://simpleflying.com/lockheed-martin-sr-72-darkstar-hypersonic-spy-plane-nears-production/

https://www.space.com/china-space-plane-depoyed-mystery-objects

https://theaviationist.com/2025/02/21/x-37b-in-orbit-photo/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-satellite_weapon

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ASM-135_ASAT

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_X-37

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kh-47M2_Kinzhal

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_Martin_SR-72

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northrop_Grumman_Pegasus

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramjet

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scramjet