US Air Force on alert over Russian hypersonic missile

The US is increasingly falling behind Russia in the technological race to develop hypersonic missiles, the Washington Free Beacon commented, citing a study by the US Air Force.

“China and Russia have conducted tests of high-speed maneuvering equipment that pose a threat to US forces at forward bases and even in the continental United States,” the document summarizes.

The race is around the creation of hypersonic missiles, which are well suited for delivering nuclear and conventional strikes, - the newspaper notes. Such warheads are capable of flying at speeds five times faster than the speed of sound and can maneuver to penetrate existing missile defense systems.

Expert Mark Lewis noted that Moscow's new weapons are capable of adjusting the outlook of the US military. "Offense and defense are two sides of the same coin. Just like during the Cold War, the only reliable tool is hypersonic weapons that can become a threat of asymmetric counterattack," - the newspaper quoted expert Lewis. According to Boris Obnosov, CEO of the Russian corporation "Tactical Missile Armament", hypersonic weapons may appear in Russia at the beginning of the next decade.

According to Sputnik