WASHINGTON: General Pentagon said on Wednesday that the recent Chinese exam from the circling hypersonic missiles was similar to the launch of the first Soviet Union Satellite, Sputnik, in 1957, which triggered a super space race.
Mark Milley, chairman of the head with staff, confirmed for the first time the Chinese exam from nuclear nuclear missiles which would be very difficult to maintain.
“What we saw was a very significant event from the hypersonic weapons test.
And it was very concerned,” Milley told Bloomberg TV.
“I don’t know if it’s a sputnik moment, but I think it’s very close to it,” he said.
“This is a very significant technology event that happens …
and it has all our attention.” The US Department of Defense has previously refused to confirm the test, was first reported by the Financial Times on October 16.
The newspaper said the August test launch surprised Washington.
Missiles surround the earth at low altitude and speeds of more than five times the speed of sound, despite missing the target of more than 30 kilometers (19 miles), according to the Financial Times.
China denied the report, said it was a routine test of vehicle space that could be reused.
Hypersonics is a new border in missile technology, because they fly lower and more difficult to detect than ballistic missiles, can reach targets faster, and maneuver.
It makes them more dangerous, especially if it is installed with nuclear warheads.
The United States, Russia, China and North Korea have all tested hypersound and several others are developing technology.
China in 2019 launched a hypersonic medium-range missile, DF-17, which can travel around 2,000 kilometers and can carry nuclear warheads.
The missiles mentioned in FT stories are different, with a longer range.
It can be launched into orbit before returning to the atmosphere to reach its target.
Asked Wednesday about China’s test, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby again refused to confirm it.
But he said that every major progress in the Chinese military abilities was not “very little to help reduce tension in the region and outside.” Such progress, he said, “paired with a foreign policy and defense approach that uses the intimidation and coercion of neighboring countries to produce China’s interests.”