China secretly tested a hypersonic missile in August, the Financial Times reports. And US intelligence sources told the newspaper that they were surprised by the test.
Sources say that although the missile failed to hit its target, the test shows that China has made “amazing progress” in developing a hypersonic missile.
In fact, the Chinese turned out to be much farther than the Americans thought. “We have no idea how to manage this,” one official said. According to the Financial Times, the US appears to be underestimating China in this area.
More countries are developing new missiles
In addition to China, the United States, Russia and possibly North Korea are also developing new hypersonic missiles. These projectiles reach more than five times the speed of sound, about 6,200 kilometers per hour. Unlike ballistic missiles, hypersonic missiles fly in low atmospheric orbits. This allows them to reach their target faster and makes it difficult for enemies to intercept the missile.
The Pentagon has yet to officially respond to the Financial Times reports.
