Don't Believe the 'Hype': Nuclear Hypersonic Weapons Are Not Destabilizing

China and Russia have both developed hypersonic weapons capable of delivering nuclear payloads to targets within the United States. These hypersonic systems challenge U.S. defensive capabilities using speed, maneuverability, and a unique flight profile. Many believe these novel weapons will compromise strategic stability between the U.S., China, and Russia. They site three features of hypersonic weapons as destabilizing: 1) the capability to penetrate U.S. defense networks, 2) the potential to threaten a U.S. robust second strike, and 3) the potential for inadvertent escalation due to dual-use ambiguity. In fact, the fielding and proliferation of Russian and Chinese nuclear hypersonic weapons are not destabilizing for strategic balance. The U.S. is already vulnerable to existing Chinese and Russian ballistic missiles, and therefore hypersonic weapons do not introduce a new vulnerability. Hypersonic weapons do not threaten a U.S. robust second-strike capability because of the resilient nuclear triad structure. Finally, the dual-use nature of Chinese and Russian hypersonic weapons is not destabilizing because it does not change the existing status quo.