Separating Fact from Fiction in Hypersonic Missile Defense

Despite recent press reports celebrating successful 'hypersonic missile' interceptions, none involved true hypersonic boost-glide vehicles. The actual weapons meeting this technical definition—Avangard, DF-17, and Dark Eagle—have never been deployed in combat. More critically, the dedicated air defense systems designed to counter them remain untested against real targets, exposing a fundamental gap in modern air defense capabilities.