U.S. Conducted Successful Hypersonic Missile Test Last Month But Kept It Secret To Avoid Escalating Tensions With Russia

The missiles, which are launched from a bomber jet and accelerated by a booster before detaching, are able to be guided to a precise target. Above, a rendering of a missile  

Daily Mail: US military successfully tested hypersonic missiles last month but kept the project a secret to avoid escalating tensions with Russia 

* US military tested a hypersonic missile off the west coast - but kept quiet about the project for two weeks for fear of escalating tensions with Russia 

* The weapon can be pushed to hypersonic speeds greater than Mach 5 using an air-breathing scramjet engine 

* Tests come as tensions between Russia and U.S. are heightened due to the country's invasion of Ukraine - where it used one of its own hypersonic missiles 

* The development of hypersonic missiles has led to an arms race between the US, China and Russia, with China thought to be further ahead 

The United States military tested a hypersonic missile last month but decided to keep it quiet for two weeks in order to avoid ramping up tensions further with Russia. 

The mid-march test came just as President Joe Biden was set to travel to Europe to discuss Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine, CNN reported, though scant details have been released about the situation. 

The test was conducted off the west coast with the missile, a Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept (HAWC), launched from a B-52 bomber.  

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U.S. Conducted Successful Hypersonic Missile Test Last Month  

America’s Latest Hypersonic Cruise Missile Made A Secret Test Flight -- Warzone/The Drive  

US hypersonic missile successful in flight test, DARPA says -- Breaking Defense  

US tested hypersonic missile in mid-March but kept it quiet to avoid escalating tensions with Russia -- CNN  

Pentagon kept hypersonic test quiet amid Russia tensions -- Defense News  

US boasts successful hypersonic missile test, after Russia used similar weapon in Ukraine -- FOX News 

US kept hypersonic missile launch quiet to avoid provoking Russia: report -- NYPost  

US kept missile test quiet to avoid raising tensions with Russia -- The Hill 

U.S. completes second hypersonic missile flight test -- Axios

Russia Uses Hypersonic Missiles For The First Time In Strike On Ukraine Arms Depot

 

Daily Mail: Putin fires hypersonic missile at Ukraine: Russia steps up war of attrition with another strike on west of country with 9,000mph missile as Kyiv claims invaders have suffered 15,000 casualties 

* Moscow claims the 'Kinzhal'- or Dagger - missile is 'unstoppable' by current Western defensive weapons 

* The weapon, which has a range of 1,250 miles, is nuclear capable. The Friday attack was a conventional strike 

* Vladimir Putin has termed the missile 'an ideal weapon' that flies at 10 times the speed of sound 

* The missile was one of an array of new weapons Putin unveiled in his state-of-the-nation address in 2018 

* Russia first used the weapon during its military campaign in Syria in 2016 to support the Assad regime 

Russia unleashed its 'unstoppable' Kinzhal hypersonic missiles for the first time in Ukraine, the defence ministry said today, destroying a weapons storage site in the country's west on Friday. 

Russia has never before admitted using the high-precision weapon in combat, and state news agency RIA Novosti said it was the first use of the Kinzhal hypersonic weapons during the conflict in pro-Western Ukraine. 

Moscow claims the 'Kinzhal'- or Dagger - is 'unstoppable' by current Western weapons. 

The missile, which has a range of 1,250 miles, is nuclear capable. This was a conventional strike.  

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Russia Uses Hypersonic Missiles For The First Time In Strike On Ukraine Arms Depot  

Russia claims to have fired its 'Dagger' hypersonic ballistic missile for the first time during its invasion of Ukraine -- Business Insider  

Russia uses hypersonic missiles in strike on Ukraine arms depot -- Reuters 

Russia claims first use of hypersonic Kinzhal missile in Ukraine -- BBC  

Russia Claims Hypersonic Missile Strike, Ukraine Urges Cease-Fire -- Moscow Times 

Russia claims it hit Ukrainian weapons storage with hypersonic missile -- The Hill  

Russia claims to hit Ukraine with hypersonic missile, expert warns it is part of Putin’s ‘strategic plan’ -- FOX News  

Russia uses hypersonic missiles in strike on Ukraine as Zelenskyy calls for comprehensive peace talks -- ABC News Australia  

Russia claims it deployed nuke-capable hypersonic missile -- NYPost  

Russia's new Ukraine weapon: What is a hypersonic missile? -- Euronews  

What Are Hypersonic Weapons and Who Has Them? -- VOA

Video Emerges That Shows China Is Actively Testing An Air-Launched Hypersonic Weapon.

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— OedoSoldier (@OedoSoldier) October 17, 2020

Warzone/The Drive: Video Of Chinese Missile Carrier Jet Hauling What Appears To Be A Hypersonic Weapon Emerges 

The video could be the first visual evidence that China is actively testing an air-launched hypersonic weapon. Video has emerged out of China showing what appears to be an H-6N missile carrier aircraft with a massive weapon slung underneath it. The unique wedge-shaped profile of the missile's forward section points to the possibility that the missile is a hypersonic weapon system. In particular, the form factor looks similar to the one found on China's ground-launched DF-17 hypersonic weapon, which uses a ballistic missile to boost an unpowered DF-ZF hypersonic boost-glide vehicle to a velocity well over Mach 5 before the vehicle continues on maneuvering path through the atmosphere to its target. You can read our previous post on the DF-17 here. 

 China's work on air-launched adaptations of their ground-launched ballistic missiles is not necessarily new. An air-launched DF-21D anti-ship ballistic missile is thought to have been in development for some time. The pursuit of an air-launched hypersonic boost-glide vehicle weapon by China should be expected, as well, but this could be the first time we are actually seeing it. 

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WNU Editor: You got to love those plane spotters at airports. They reveal more than what the Chinese military wants you to see .... China releases footage of its air force conducting a live-fire drill after President Xi urged his army to 'focus on preparing for WAR' (Daily Mail).

Russia Conducts Successful Test Launch Of Its Hypersonic Zircon Missile

 

Daily Mail: Russia marks Putin's 68th birthday with 'successful' test launch of 6,000mph hypersonic Zircon missile 

 * Zircon missile launched from the White Sea and hit a target in the Barents Sea 

 * Putin called it 'the newest, truly unparalleled weapon system in the world' 

 * The projectile, capable of Mach 8, hit target 280 miles away in just 270 seconds 

 * Testing caused a dangerous radiation leak last year which killed two people 

The Russian military staged an extraordinary 68th birthday present for Vladimir Putin today with a 'successful' test launch of his new-age 6,000 mph hypersonic Zircon missile. 

The Zircon - or Tsirkon - with its Mach 8 missile has been identified by Moscow's state-controlled TV as Putin's weapon of choice to wipe out American cities in the event of nuclear war. 

Putin called the launch 'a great event not only in the life of the Armed Forces, but also in the whole of Russia'. 

The deadly missile is 'the newest, truly unparalleled weapon system in the world' ensuring 'the defence capability of our state'. 

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 More News On Russia Conducting A Successful Test Launch Of The Zircon Hypersonic Missile 

Mach 8! Russian warship makes history by launching HYPERSONIC Zircon missile at mock target in far northern seas (VIDEO) -- RT 

Watch Successful Launch of Russia's Zircon Hypersonic Cruise Missile -- Sputnik 

Putin hails Tsirkon hypersonic missile’s successful test as major event for Russia -- TASS 

Russia touts test launch of hypersonic missile on Putin's birthday -- Reuters 

Russia claims successful launch of hypersonic missile: report -- FOX News 

Northern Fleet frigate test-launched hypersonic cruise missile across the Kola Peninsula -- The Barents Observer Putin Hails Successful Launch of Zircon Hypersonic Cruise Missile as 'Major Event' for Russia -- Sputnik 

Work on Russia’s Avangard hypersonic missile continued for over 30 years — designer -- TASS