United States Successfully Tests Nuclear-Capable Hypersonic Missile Prototype

In a major development, the United States (US) announced on Friday (20 March) that it has successfully tested an unarmed prototype of a hypersonic missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads, reports Economic Times.

Pentagon revealed that the test glide vehicle flew at five times the speed of sound, or Mach 5, to hit the designated impact point. It also said that delivering hypersonic weapons is one of the highest technical research and engineering priorities for the Department of Defence.

Hypersonic missile can traverse much faster than nuclear-capable ballistic, cruise and other conventional missiles. These can also change the direction whilst in flight, making them tougher to track and interpret.