随着冷战的结束,美国圣地亚国家实验室透露了一种曾是高度保密的核再入飞行器技术,并准备把它变成一族新的常规高超音速武器。科学家们相信,采用核弹头弹道导弹再入飞行器专项技术的这种常规高超音速武器,如果用来攻击掩体、桥墩和加固的飞机库,将比常规炸药可能更有效。原型高超音速武器已于1992年夏在一项由国防高级研究计划局资助的计划中成功地进行了试验。从火箭橇上发射的这种武器用质量为31.2g,大小3.8cm的无炸药颗粒射弹以足够的速度轻易地穿过1.27cm厚的钢板,彻底地摧毁了它的目标。 As the Cold War ended, San Diego State Laboratory revealed a highly confidential nuclear reentry vehicle technology and is ready to turn it into a new class of conventional hypersonic weapons. Scientists believe such conventional hypersonic weapons using nuclear warhead ballistic missile reentry craft will likely be more effective than conventional explosives if used to attack shelters, piers and hardened aircraft hangars. Prototype hypersonic weapons were successfully tested in a plan funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency in the summer of 1992. The weapon launched from the rocket skid completely destroys its target with a 31.2-g, 3.8-kilogram, non-explosive particle projectile that easily traverses through a 1.27-cm thick steel plate at enough speed.