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WASHINGTON — The US army introduced Tuesday a brand new take a look at of a hypersonic missile, as Pentagon officers search to match or get forward of China’s and Russia’s advances within the cutting-edge strategic weapons know-how.
The Protection Superior Analysis Tasks Company (DARPA) stated it had just lately accomplished a free-flight take a look at of an aircraft-launched hypersonic missile that maintained a velocity of greater than Mach 5, or 5 instances the velocity of sound (a minimum of 3,800 miles per hour, or 6,100 kilometers per hour).
The missile flew to an altitude higher than 65,000 ft (19,800 meters) and soared over 300 nautical miles, stated DARPA, the Pentagon’s high-tech analysis physique.
It was the second take a look at beneath the company’s HAWC Program — named for hypersonic air-breathing weapon idea — and the missile had a special configuration from the primary, which was examined final September.
In line with CNN, the latest take a look at came about in mid-March, however was saved quiet to keep away from showing to escalate the geopolitical tensions surrounding the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
In March 2020, the US military and navy undertook a joint take a look at of a special hypersonic prototype.
DARPA stated air-breathing hypersonic missiles use air captured from the ambiance to assist maintain propulsion.
“This Lockheed Martin HAWC flight take a look at efficiently demonstrated a second design that can enable our warfighters to competitively choose the fitting capabilities to dominate the battlefield,” stated Andrew Knoedler, HAWC program supervisor, in a press release.
Hypersonic missiles pose a possible risk to the worldwide army stability, able to being steered to ship nuclear weapons exactly on course, at speeds too quick to intercept.
The Pentagon is beneath strain to match China’s obvious profitable take a look at of a hypersonic missile final yr that flew across the globe and hit a goal in China.
Russia additionally claimed two weeks in the past to have fired two hypersonic missiles in strikes on Ukraine.
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