Prototype tests have been carried out in the interests of the US Army and Navy, the Pentagon said. The deployment of the first army battery with hypersonic missiles is scheduled for 2023.
American rocket launch (archive photo)
The United States conducted three successful tests in the development of hypersonic weapons. Tests of prototype components of hypersonic missiles were conducted on Wednesday, October 21 by the US Navy and Ground Forces at the NASA Space Center on Wallops Island in Virginia, the United States Department of Defense said.
The report notes that the tests were successful and they “demonstrated advanced hypersonic technologies, capabilities and prototypes of systems in a realistic environment.” Which components were tested is not specified. Reuters notes that the tests were carried out on the day that US President Joe Biden expressed concern over China's progress in developing hypersonic weapons.
China's successes
Earlier, the London newspaper The Financial Times, citing intelligence sources, reported that in the summer China conducted two tests of a hypersonic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, launching the so-called “partial-orbital bombing” system. The interlocutors of the publication noted that China has demonstrated successes that caught US intelligence by surprise.
Meanwhile, China has denied media reports of a hypersonic missile test. It was a routine test to test spacecraft reuse technology, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters on October 18.
Currently, the Pentagon, as part of one of its programs, is developing a Long Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) hypersonic missile, dubbed the Dark Eagle. It is designed to equip the ground forces and ships of the US Navy. The US Army's first hypersonic missile battery is slated to deploy in 2023, with warships slated to begin equipping with hypersonic weapons in 2024.
The range of hypersonic missiles being developed for the US Army will be more than 2,775 km. The speed of the gliding hypersonic unit will reach Mach 17, that is, 20,875 km / h.
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Author: Sergey Romashenko
