In the midst of growing tensions with Russia, the United States conducted a hypersonic missile test that was ‘kept quiet.’

Last month, the United States conducted a covert test of its new hypersonic missile, with a Pentagon official claiming that the launch was “kept quiet” owing to concerns over Ukraine.
The test occurred only days after Russia declared that it had destroyed an ammo storage in western Ukraine with its own hypersonic missile.

Pentagon press secretary John Kirby told reporters that it was “difficult to tell what exactly the purpose” for Russia’s deployment of the sophisticated weapon was, adding that the 9,000mph missile was a “pretty hefty sledgehammer to knock out a target like that.”

At the time of the US test, US President Joe Biden was travelling to Europe for a conference with NATO leaders, pausing in Poland to speak with Ukraine’s foreign and defence ministers.

The Pentagon has previously postponed the US test for fear of raising relations with Russia during such a “sensitive period.”

The hypersonic missile was launched from a USAF B-52 bomber before accelerating to Mach 5 speeds with its own air-breathing scramjet engine (around 3,800mph).

The Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept (HAWC) missile flew at speeds exceeding 65,000 feet for more than 300 miles. Even if it flew at the low end of its hypersonic range, it could accomplish the 300-mile voyage in around five minutes.

The missile carries no explosive warhead, instead depending on its incredible speed to kill its targets.

It was first put to the test in September of last year, when Andrew “”The HAWC free flight test was a successful demonstration of the capabilities that will make hypersonic cruise missiles a very effective tool for our warfighters,” stated Tippy” Knoedler of DARPA’s weapons workshop.

“This puts us one step closer to transforming HAWC into a programme of record that provides the US military with next-generation capabilities.””