US hypersonic missile test fails
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The recent hypersonic missile test was declared a failure by the US secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall, despite meeting some of the set objectives.
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U.S. military personnel secure an Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon as it is loaded under the wing of a B-52H Stratofortress at Edwards Air Force Base, California, in August 2020 (U.S. AIR FORCE / VIA REUTERS)
The recent hypersonic missile test was declared a failure by the US secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall, despite meeting some of the set objectives.
"The one that we just had was not a success. we did not get the data that we needed from that test," Kendall said when asked about the last ARRW test.
Last Friday, the U.S. Air Force reported that they had tested a hypersonic AGM-183-A Air launched Rapid Reaction Weapon (ARRW) made by Lockheed Martin earlier in the month and that it had achieved several of the goals.
Read more: US to test hypersonic missiles in 2023, catch up with Russia & China
Back in early March, the US Army will conduct two tests of new hypersonic weapons delivery systems this summer at White Sands Testing Grounds in New Mexico, according to the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology Douglas Bush, who spoke at the Center for New American Security (CNAS).
Read more: US falls behind Russia, China hypersonic race
Back in January, the National Interest highlighted the weakness of the US in developing offensive hypersonic weapons, as well as in confronting them.
According to the outlet, the United States urgently needs to develop and deploy both offensive and defensive hypersonic weapons capabilities, because it is falling behind as China and Russia have both tested and deployed hypersonic missiles, while the United States is conducting its first successful hypersonic missile test in December 2022.
Read more: Russia to respond if Japan's hypersonic missiles are threat: Deputy FM
Later in February, in light of Japan's sharp modernization of its military potential, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko did not hesitate to assure that if any threat is posed to the country's Far Eastern regions due to finding hypersonic missiles on Japan's border islands, Moscow will respond accordingly, conforming with its defense doctrine.
