The United States is ready to send a hypersonic missile into space, a report has claimed.
Washington hopes the weapon will show off the nation’s impressive war arsenal to the world.
The hypersonic missile can travel at up to 15,000 miles per hour.
It is set to blast across the Pacific in the latest US Air Force tests which will likely antagonise Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The hypersonic missile can travel at up to 15,000 miles per hour
USAF
The Air Force prompted speculation about its capacity after revealing images of the menacing AGM-183 Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW).
China is the only country currently known to have an ARRW and the latest US development left Russia desperate to get their own.
The hypersonic missile can strike targets within 1,000 miles and is carried under the wing of a B-52H bomber aircraft.
It was pictured underneath the aircraft at a popular US Air Force base in Guam.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
The hypersonic missile can strike targets within 1,000 miles and is carried under the wing of a B-52H bomber aircraft
USAF
Guam has been a key spot for new weapons tests in recent years.
The US announced: “B-52 Stratofortress crews from the 23rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron and 49th Test and Evaluation Squadron participated in hypersonic weapon familiarisation training at Anderson Air Base, Guam, February 27.
“The crews focused on the fundamentals of hypersonics, operational and logistics considerations, and in-depth tactical discussions.”
The US Air Force also said: “The weapon system is designed to provide combatant commanders the capability to destroy high-value, time-sensitive targets.
Hypersonic weapons could strike targets on the Chinese mainland in the event of an attack against Taiwan
USAF
“ARRW will also expand precision-strike weapon systems’ capabilities by enabling rapid response strikes against heavily defended land targets.”
Retired Marine Colonel Grant Newsham, a senior researcher with the Japan Forum for Strategic Studies in Tokyo, added: “That would hurt [China’s] ability to conduct an offensive against Taiwan, or perhaps allow US forces to respond in kind if [China] attacks US or allied facilities in Japan, Guam, or elsewhere.”
Hypersonic weapons could strike targets on the Chinese mainland in the event of an attack against Taiwan.
Command centres, ports, airfields, power plants and logistics hubs would likely face the brunt of it.