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| US military ‘successfully’ test-launches hypersonic glide body – Pentagon (VIDEO) | US military ‘successfully’ test-launches hypersonic glide body – Pentagon (VIDEO) |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| The Pentagon has announced that it has successfully tested a hypersonic glide body, saying that the launch will play an important role in future hypersonic technology development. | The Pentagon has announced that it has successfully tested a hypersonic glide body, saying that the launch will play an important role in future hypersonic technology development. |
| The US Navy released a clip of the projectile’s launch, which was carried out in cooperation with the Army. | The US Navy released a clip of the projectile’s launch, which was carried out in cooperation with the Army. |
| The hypersonic glider was launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Hawaii on Thursday night, yet confirmation came only on Friday. Its flight was tracked by the Missile Defense Agency, which will use the flight data to improve its own hypersonic defense systems. | The hypersonic glider was launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Hawaii on Thursday night, yet confirmation came only on Friday. Its flight was tracked by the Missile Defense Agency, which will use the flight data to improve its own hypersonic defense systems. |
| This improvement is seen as crucial, as Washington had said earlier that it has lagged behind other states, like Russia, when it comes to the development of such arms. | This improvement is seen as crucial, as Washington had said earlier that it has lagged behind other states, like Russia, when it comes to the development of such arms. |
| Moscow is already taking deliveries of the Kinzhal (meaning dagger) air-launched hypersonic missiles, while the first of its silo-based Avangard gliders have already been deployed. | |
| The latter can reportedly reach a speed of Mach 27 and its testing last year prompted a retired US Chief of Staff to declare that existing American defense systems are “simply incapable” of countering such a weapon. | |
| China, too, is developing two similar missiles, with one declared operational last year. By contrast, the US has yet to field a hypersonic missile. In Friday’s press release, the Pentagon said it aims to deploy hypersonic capabilities in the “early- to mid-2020s.” | |
| Earlier this month, officials at the US Department of Defense set up a “hypersonic war room” to brainstorm the development of these futuristic weapons, and to assess the industrial base for manufacturing them. | |
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