The US admits it lags behind Russia and China in hypersonic weapons.
The US Deputy Secretary of Defense is concerned that rivals are making significant advances in hypersonic missiles while Washington remains stagnant.
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The American X-51A hypersonic glide vehicle. Photo:USAF |
"Hypersonic missiles are being developed by both China and Russia. We are concerned about both countries because they have conducted dozens of tests that we have not yet been able to do."SputnikOn September 5th, a statement by US Deputy Secretary of Defense Michael Griffin was cited.
On September 4, Sam Greaves, Director of the US Missile Defense Agency, also stated that Washington could not ignore Beijing's dozens of hypersonic weapons tests.
The U.S. military has recently accelerated the development of hypersonic weapons to catch up with its rivals. The 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) includes a provision requiring the Pentagon to advance its hypersonic missile defense program and report to Congress within 90 days.
In April and August, the US Department of Defense awarded two contracts worth more than $1.4 billion to Lockheed Martin to develop two prototype hypersonic weapons for deployment with the Air Force.
Hypersonic weapons typically travel at speeds of around 6,175-12,000 km/h, possessing complex maneuvering capabilities in flight, making it impossible for enemy missile defense systems to accurately determine their trajectory for interception.
