Samenvatting

Non-ballistic hypersonic missiles are highly manoeuvrable weapons that move with a
speed of Mach 5 or more. Russia, China, and the US are the frontrunners in developing
those weapons. The combination of speed, accuracy, manoeuvrability, and range makes
hypersonic missiles effective both against time-sensitive targets and as an anti-A2/
AD asset. Their effectiveness and lethality, with relatively low deployment costs, give
hypersonic missiles a credible deterrence value, but also new possibilities for preventive
action. Hypersonic missiles fulfil a need driven by a security dilemma, but at the same
time they keep this dilemma in place. This has profound consequences for the concept
of strategic stability. The velocity of these missiles reduces the reaction time for a
proportional response to mere minutes, and thereby enhances the risk of unpredictable
behaviour as a result of misinterpretation and miscommunication by both attacker and
defender. This article argues that the impact of the new dynamics created by hypersonic
missiles are detrimental to strategic stability.