Russia brags about Avangard. China parades the DF-17. Both claim “unstoppable” speeds of Mach 5+. On the surface, it sounds like the U.S. is behind. But here’s what the headlines miss: America’s defense doctrine is built on integrated layers of attack and defense. The ARRW, CPS, and OpFires programs aren’t just building fast missiles — they’re building ones that can slot directly into existing Navy, Air Force, and Army systems. The U.S. is also quietly investing in counter-hypersonic tech — detection, tracking, interception — which neither Moscow nor Beijing can match in scale. It’s not about racing to launch one flashy missile. It’s about creating a kill chain so fast and so precise that the opponent never gets a second shot. And when America commits to a tech race, history shows it rarely ends up in second place. #Military #Hypersonic #MissileDefense