The United States is highly motivated to develop hypersonic weapons as soon as possible due to the looming threat of advanced technologies from China and Russia.
The two global superpowers have driven the US to hasten the development of its hypersonic weapon as the Pentagon aims to increase the pace of testing and research. All of the efforts are in an attempt to avoid falling behind, said a senior Navy admiral responsible for US efforts.
Hypersonic Weapons Development
The director of the Navy's Strategic Systems program, Vice Admiral Johnny Wolfe, said that until recently, there was no need for the US to take that technology and put it in a weapon system. However, in recent times, there have been factors that prompted authorities to get a sense of urgency.
During an interview last month, Wolfe, as the military carried out two rocket test launches to gather data for hypersonic development, acknowledged that China and Russia have more developed weapons that the US does not possess, as per CNN.
Each of the two conducted tests carried out roughly a dozen different experiments in various fields, including heat-resistant materials, high-end electronics, and lightweight materials. The official noted that all of these were necessary to successfully develop a hypersonic weapon that could rival that of China and Russia.
Russia has already opted to deploy its own hypersonic Kinzhal missiles in Ukraine amid the conflict. It marks what others see as the first time that such weapons have been used in the war. On the other hand, a Chinese hypersonic missile flew around the world before hitting a target during a test last year.
According to C4ISRNET, the situation comes as China also unveiled air-launched versions of its ship-based hypersonic missile and a standoff cruise missile during the Zhuhai Airshow. The show included a pair of air-launched hypersonic missiles carried under the wings of a Xi'an H-6K bomber.
The Threat of China and Russia
The aircraft carried the stenciling "2PZD-21" and Chinese media outlets referred to them as air-launched versions of the YJ-21 anti-ship hypersonic missile that were carried by Type 055 cruisers.
China's state media also showed a test launch of the YJ-21 from aboard a cruise last April. On the other hand, the air-launched version, compared to its ship-launched counterpart, lacked the booster section that was needed to accelerate the missile during its shipboard vertical launch sequence.
Another notable weapon that Beijing showcased during the show was the AKF-98 standoff cruise missile. That missile appeared to be a jet-powered cruise missile in the class of the Lockheed Martin AGM-158 JASSM or European Storm Shadow/SCALP.
Meanwhile, Russian authorities were looking to add more sophisticated weaponry to Moscow's stocks, ordering "several dozen" Tsirkon hypersonic missiles this fall. The order was reported on Friday by the state-owned news outlet TASS.
The request is set to be fulfilled by the end of 2023 and comes after the Kremlin already ordered a "batch of Tsirkons" during the summer of 2021. The report of the order came only a few days after Tehran, which has supported Russia in the latter's war on Ukraine, announced that it had developed its own hypersonic missile, Fox News reported.
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