United States successfully tested hypersonic missile technology: Details, About

The United States Successfully Tested Hypersonic missile technology: Details, History

The US Navy said Thursday that it has successfully tested hypersonic missile technology, a new weapons capability that China and Russia have already deployed.
The test, which took place at a NASA facility in Wallops, Virginia on Wednesday, was a "critical milestone in the development of a Military-designed common hypersonic missile," according to the navy.

"In a realistic operational environment, this test showcased advanced hypersonic technologies, capabilities, and prototype systems," it stated.

Hypersonic missiles, like ordinary ballistic missiles, may travel at speeds up to five times faster than sound (Mach 5).

However, they are more agile than ballistic missiles and may follow a low trajectory through the atmosphere, making them more difficult to defend against.

Following allegations that China tested a hypersonic missile with nuclear capability in August, Ambassador Robert Wood, the United States' permanent representative to the Conference on Disarmament, raised alarm earlier this week.

According to the Financial Times, China launched a hypersonic missile that circled the globe before landing, but it missed its objective.

"What China has been doing on the hypersonic front has us extremely concerned," said Wood, who will leave his job in Geneva after seven years next week.

China emphasized that the test was for a spacecraft, not a missile and that it was a normal one.

According to Wood, Russia possessed hypersonic technology as well, and while the US had resisted building a military capability in this area, it now had no option but to reply in kind.

"If you're a country that's being targeted, you'll want to find out a strategy to protect yourself," says one expert, he said.

As a result, we begin to consider what additional uses and defensive applications hypersonic technology may provide — and as a result, the arms race continues to escalate."

In 2019, China debuted the DF-17, a hypersonic medium-range missile with a range of 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) and the capability to carry nuclear warheads.

The missile referenced in the Financial Times article is a different one with a larger range. It can be launched into orbit before returning to Earth to reach its intended target