The video will start in 8 Cancel

The Daily Star's FREE newsletter is spectacular! Sign up today for the best stories straight to your inbox Sign up today! Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Speaking to Daily Star Online, former White House and Pentagon adviser Phillip Coyle, an expert on missile defence, explained just what makes hypersonic nukes such a devastating threat.

Hypersonic missiles — a form of defence which travels at speeds far higher than traditional rockets — have been around for several years, but newer models represent an entirely different challenge.

"What's different about the hypersonic missiles in the press these days is they travel in unpredictable ways, making them difficult — if not impossible — to defeat," explained Coyle, who now works at the Centre for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation in Washington DC.

Some hypersonic missiles travel on varied trajectories which make them harder to spot, he added.

"For example," said Richard, "there are 'boost-glide' hypersonic missiles which at first go straight up, then turn back down and level-off to travel at hypersonic speeds closer to the Earth."

(Image: GETTY)

(Image: GETTY)

And this unpredictability is a particular danger to governments trying to defend large urban areas against the threat of hypersonic missiles.

"Hypersonic missiles can carry nuclear warheads just like intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs)," Coyle said.

"That means there would be no difference in the effect of a hypersonic missile delivering a nuclear weapon to a built-up urban area than a nuclear weapon delivered by any other means — ICBM, bomber, submarine, drone, barge, or container ship — except it would be almost impossible to stop."

And Coyle added many of the Western power's missile defence systems are hopelessly unprepared for high-speed missile threats.

(Image: GETTY)

Coyle said: "While designed to intercept ballistic missiles, US defences don't work against cruise missiles, against hypersonic manoeuvering missiles, or against undersea drones carrying nuclear weapons.

"Worse still, American ICBM defences in Alaska and California have a poor record of success — only 40% in recent intercept tests."

He added: "When I was in school, 40% was a failing grade.

"If the best the Ground-Based Midcourse Defence (GMD) programme can do against a single ballistic missile is 40%, think how bad the performance could be against manoeuvering hypersonic missiles."

(Image: GETTY)

Coyle warned that hypersonic missiles — including those carrying nuclear warheads — will render traditional missile defences "obsolete".

"Missile defences don't work against these new types of hypersonic weapons," he said.

Are we in danger of entering a new hypersonic weapons Cold War as tensions rise between Donald Trump and rival nuclear states such as Kim Jong-un's North Korea?

Earlier this month, Russia demonstrated a new hypersonic missile, the Kinzhal, carried by two MiG-31K fighter jets.

Vladimir Putin has boasted that his new missile can travel at up to 10 times the speed of sound.

Putin claimed the US is "miles behind" Russia in the development of hypersonic nukes — and his will be ready by 2020.

Coyle said that the Kinzhal represents a dramatic leap forward, but said "it is launched from an aircraft which means its range may be limited."

Last year China unveiled the terrifying hypersonic scattergun nuke the Dongfeng-41, capable of travelling at over 19,000mph.