The United States successfully tested a hypersonic missile in mid-March but kept it secrecy for two weeks to prevent an escalation of tensions with Russia as President Joe Biden was about to travel to Europe, according to a US military official. familiar American defense on the subject.
O Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept (Hypersonic Air Weapon Concept) was launched from a B-52 bomber off the west coast, the official said, in the first successful test run of the Lockheed Martin version of the system. A booster engine accelerated the missile to high speed, at which point the engine scramjet air breathing was activated and propelled the missile to hypersonic speeds.
The official gave few details of the test, noting only that the missile flew above 19,000 meters and for more than 400 kilometers. Even at the lowest capacity of the hypersonic range – about 6,115 kilometers per hour – a flight of 480 kilometers is accomplished in less than 5 minutes.
The test came days after Russia said it used its own hypersonic missile during its invasion of Ukraine, claiming it was targeting an ammunition dump in western Ukraine.
US officials downplayed the importance of Russian use of the Kinzhal hypersonic missile. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he doesn’t see this as “a game changer” after the release was announced. Days later, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said it was “hard to know what the exact rationale was” for the launch, as it was aimed at a stationary storage facility.
“It’s a powerful weapon to take down a target like that,” Kirby said at the time.
The Kinzhal missile is simply an air-launched version of the short-range Russian Iskander ballistic missile. In other words, it is a variation on an already established technology, rather than a revolution in hypersonic weaponry. The US test was of an engine scramjet of air breathing, more sophisticated and difficult.
The HAWC missile also lacks a warhead, relying on its kinetic energy to destroy the target.
At the time of the US test, Biden was preparing for a visit to North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies in Europe, including a stop in Poland, where he met with the Foreign Minister and Defense Minister of the United States. Ukraine.
The US was careful not to take steps or make statements that could unnecessarily increase tensions between Washington and Moscow. On Friday, the US canceled a test of the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) to avoid any misinterpretation by Russia. Austin had already postponed the test in early March to avoid actions that could be seen as a threat by Russia at such a delicate time.
In general, the US has also remained discreet about the weapons and equipment it sends to Ukraine. Only in the latest $300 million security assistance package did the Department of Defense list specific systems and weapons.
The US has also opposed the transfer of fighter jets to Ukraine via the US, worried that the Kremlin could interpret such a move as the US and NATO entering the conflict in Ukraine.
US officials remained silent about this latest hypersonic test for two weeks for similar reasons, the defense official said, taking care not to provoke the Kremlin or President Vladimir Putin, especially as Russian forces have expanded their bombing into Ukraine.
The US test is the second successful test of a HAWC missile and is the first of the Lockheed Martin version of the weapon. Last September, the Air Force tested the Raytheon HAWC, powered by an scramjet Northrop Grumman.
The test met all key objectives, according to a press release from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), including missile integration and release, safe separation from launch aircraft, booster firing, and cruise. Then officials also offered few details about the flight, not to mention the speed at which the missile flew or the distance it traveled. The statement only stated that the missile traveled at speeds in excess of Mach 5.
The US has brought a new emphasis on hypersonic weapons after successful Russian and Chinese tests in recent months, raising concern in Washington that the US is falling behind in military technology deemed critical for the future.
In the FY23 defense budget, the Biden administration requested $7.2 billion for long-range fires, including hypersonic missiles. In a report last year, the US Government’s Office of Fiscal Responsibility identified 70 efforts related to the development of hypersonic weapons, which are expected to cost nearly $15 billion between 2015 and 2024.
A month after the first successful HAWC test, the US suffered a setback when the test of a different hypersonic system failed. The failure came as reports emerged that China had successfully tested a hypersonic glider vehicle over the summer and shortly after Russia claimed to have successfully tested its submarine-launched hypersonic missile, dubbed the Tsirkon.
Source: CNN Brasil
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