Oct 22, 2021, 2:47 PM

Latest US military hypersonic test fails: Pentagon

Latest US military hypersonic test fails: Pentagon

TEHRAN, Oct. 22 (MNA) – The US suffered a setback in the race with China and Russia to develop hypersonic weapons when its latest test failed, US media quoted the Pentagon as saying in a statement Thursday.

A booster stack, which is the rocket used to accelerate the projectile to hypersonic speeds, failed and the test of the projectile, the hypersonic glide body, could not proceed, the Pentagon statement said, according to the CNN.

Because the rocket failed the Pentagon was not able to test the hypersonic glide body, which is the key component needed to develop a hypersonic weapon.

Officials have started a review of the test, which took place Thursday at the Pacific Spaceport Complex in Kodiak, Alaska, to understand the cause of the booster failure.

The Pentagon has made developing hypersonic weapons one of its top priorities, particularly as China and Russia are working to develop their own versions. The failure is another blow to the US effort following a failed test in April and comes days after it was reported that China had successfully tested a hypersonic glide vehicle.

KI/PR

News ID 179946

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