US tested hypersonic missile in mid-March but kept it quiet to avoid escalating tensions with Russia:
US tested hypersonic missile in mid-March but kept it quiet to avoid escalating tensions with Russia
The Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept (HAWC) was launched from a B-52 bomber off the west coast, the official said, in the first successful test of the Lockheed Martin version of the system. A booster engine accelerated the missile to high speed, at which point the air-breathing scramjet engine ignited and propelled the missile at hypersonic speeds of Mach 5 and above.
The official offered scant details of the missile test, only noting the missile flew above 65,000 feet and for more than 300 miles. But even at the lower end of hypersonic range -- about 3,800 miles per hour -- a flight of 300 miles is less than 5 minutes.
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Russia says it has test-fired another hypersonic missile
The Russian navy on Saturday conducted another test of a prospective hypersonic missile, a demonstration of the military's long-range strike capability amid the fighting in Ukraine.
The Defense Ministry said the Admiral Gorshkov frigate of the Northern Fleet in the White Sea launched the Zircon cruise missile in the Barents Sea, successfully hitting a practice target in the White Sea about 1,000 kilometers (540 nautical miles) away.
[...] Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that Zircon is capable of flying at nine times the speed of sound and has a range of 1,000 kilometers (620 miles). Putin has emphasized that its deployment will significantly boost the capability of Russia's military.
Previously: Russia Reports First Combat Use of Hypersonic Missiles
US Tested Hypersonic Missile but Kept It Quiet to Avoid Escalating Tensions With Russia
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 06 2022, @01:15PM (20 children)
As usual, CNN never fails to astound with its stupidity.
Didn't want to escalate tensions with Russia? Then WTF did the USA tear up that medium-range nuclear missile treaty, among hundreds of other things NATO's done to escalate tensions.
Kept it quiet?! All except for CNN making it headline news!!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 06 2022, @01:23PM (1 child)
Of course, the whole point of a Doomsday Machine is lost, if you *keep* it a *secret*! Why didn't you tell the world, EH?
(Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Wednesday April 06 2022, @06:27PM
The Party Chairman loves a good surprise.
"Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
(Score: 4, Informative) by Revek on Wednesday April 06 2022, @02:45PM
The US tore it up because a grifter got elected.
This page was generated by a Swarm of Roaming Elephants
(Score: 5, Informative) by khallow on Wednesday April 06 2022, @02:59PM (9 children)
Because Russia violated the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty [wikipedia.org] in 2014 with the development of the 9M729 cruise missile [csis.org] in 2014 with later deployment in 2017. Funny how that didn't get mentioned in your post.
It's yet another NATO escalation that turns out to really be a Russian escalation.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 06 2022, @11:40PM (1 child)
NATO and Russia are actually on the same side. The shadowy illimunati Rothschilds, DeBeers and Biden crime family want to control your BRAINS.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Thursday April 07 2022, @01:29PM
You forgot to mention pedophiles and human trafficking and satan worshiping.
How often should I have my memory checked? I used to know but...
(Score: 3, Interesting) by unauthorized on Thursday April 07 2022, @07:52AM (6 children)
The US withdrawing from a treaty after unsubstantiated allegations from the oh-so-trustworthy security state apparatus that was behind the classic "Iraq has WMDs" is a Russian provocation now? It baffles me how little people learn from history, it's not like US intelligence doesn't have a long well-documented history of lying through their teeth to justify invading foreign governments and "liberate" their natural resources into the hands of American-aligned oligarchs and channel US government funds into the absurdly labeled "defense" industry.
AC is right not to mention it because CIA 2.0's misinformation isn't worth the digital bits it's stored on. The fact that your link is to an organization dedicated to "finding ways to sustain American prominence and prosperity as a force for good in the world" should have been the obvious sign you're drinking the kool-aid. Anyone who sees the US is a force for good after the millions of civilian deaths caused by US interventionism and destabilizing efforts against civilian governments is either retarded, lying or delusional.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Thursday April 07 2022, @02:17PM (5 children)
Don't insult my intelligence. All you have to show is one of the four things below:
Show any one of those four. You won't be able to, because they're all true, but that's what it'll take. Not bullshit about the US intelligence lying in Iraq. That doesn't change the characteristics of the missile I just mentioned.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Thursday April 07 2022, @02:45PM
(Score: 2) by unauthorized on Thursday April 07 2022, @04:45PM (3 children)
The burden of proof lies in the one making the positive assertion. I am no more required to prove that the Russian rocket does not violate the treaty than I am required to prove that god put fake dinosaur bones in Earth's crust. "Prove me wrong or what I'm saying is true" is a logical fallacy, especially when you're demanding negative proof with an impossible standard of evidence. What exactly do you expect me to do, steal the rockets to test their capabilities? The only bullshit you're smelling is the one coming out of your mouth.
Even if you're right about the rockets, my point still stands - the NSA is a known bad actor and they totally would lie about it anyway. Their word cannot be trusted as evidence of bad faith by the Russians regardless of whether the Russians are actually acting in bad faith.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Thursday April 07 2022, @05:48PM (2 children)
And I did so, providing the very weapon system that violates said treaty and why it violates the treaty. That box is checked. Your turn now.
I think it's telling that instead of arguing facts, this has turned into an attack on the sources (some which may not have been sources in the first place) combined with a ridiculous narrative about how good faith argument is now like proving "god put fake dinosaur bones in Earth's crust".
AC asked why the US "tore up" this treaty. Well, blatant non-compliance by Russia is a good reason to leave a treaty and well, here's the Russian weapon system that wasn't complying. Seems pretty straight-forward unless, of course, you can come up with some actual counterevidence?
(Score: 2) by unauthorized on Thursday April 07 2022, @08:05PM (1 child)
No you didn't. You provided a weapon system that you assert violates the treaty without proving the premise (ie offering evidence of it's capabilities). Pointing at the rocket proves what can be visually observed, it doesn't sustain the conclusion (it violates the treaty) because you can't tell how far it goes or what kind of warheads it's capable of carrying from looking at it.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Thursday April 07 2022, @10:50PM
At this point, I consider my side done - I've cited sources that did more than just "look at it" - such as discuss Russian tests of the system one which went more than 500 km (the threshold for the treaty) and a second that was launched from a mobile launcher (another threshold for the treaty).
(Score: 2) by mcgrew on Wednesday April 06 2022, @06:20PM (6 children)
Yes, that was stupid of CNN. The only reason they're talking about it now is because China and Russia have talked about theirs. We probably had them under Clinton.
Carbon, The only element in the known universe to ever gain sentience
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 06 2022, @09:41PM (5 children)
Maybe, but there have been a lot of stories in the past few years emphasizing that Russia and China are more aggressively developing hypersonic missiles.
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/12/29/defense-act-makes-hypersonic-top-priority-calls-for-investing-billions.html [cnbc.com]
https://www.defensenews.com/congress/2022/03/10/congress-nixes-air-force-plans-to-buy-hypersonics-this-year-after-test-failures/ [defensenews.com]
Did Russia and China not know of this atmospheric test? That could tell you something right there.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 06 2022, @11:17PM (4 children)
Sort of. Russia and China have operational "hypersonic missiles," which are both really just ordinary ballistic missiles, which means they are big, difficult to operate and not very accurate. What the US is testing is a cruise missile with a scramjet engine. It is much more advanced technology capable of being used more flexibly and with high accuracy.
I wonder what kind of missile test would be something other than "atmospheric"?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 06 2022, @11:53PM
Test it in a long underground tunnel.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 07 2022, @02:15PM (1 child)
I think you missed the bit where they launched a hypersonic from a jet in Ukraine and ... it hit its intended target with 100% accuracy.
You also missed the bit where the Chinese launched a hypersonic and it went around the entire Earth and ... hit its intended target.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 07 2022, @03:08PM
Russia's hit a huge building complex that they already knew the location of. A ballistic missile can hit a football field. A cruise missile can hit a garage door. https://www.businessinsider.com/russias-kinzhal-hypersonic-missile-isnt-as-advanced-as-it-sounds-2022-3 [businessinsider.com]
Whatever China's did, it did not "fly around the Earth," as it has a maximum range of 2500km. Although, since it is really a ballistic missile payload, they could extend the range by putting the glide vehicle on a bigger ICBM. But China does not have very many ICBMs and probably does not see the need.
The US equivalent to these is the AGM-183a (known to certain ex-presidents as the "super duper missile", which is a boost-glide system like China's, but supposed to be air-launched like Russia's. This makes sense because the boost-glide system is better, but the US would probably want to drop it from a bomber (it can be launched by the B-1 and the B-52) so it could be used anywhere in the world. However, the AGM-183a has failed a lot of tests and may not become operational.
Boost-glide weapons are only a stopgap anyway on the way to real hypersonic cruise missiles, which is what this test was. The US may just skip these first generation hypersonic weapons.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Thursday April 07 2022, @03:17PM
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 06 2022, @02:23PM (3 children)
Sure thing, suuuurrreee... I mean, of course you'd keep this quiet! Definitely in a scenario where signaling to an adversary that you could hit them with something if they even think of winking at you oddly, is where you totally, definitely keep having this capability on the down low.
We definitely, pinky swear, have this kinda capability too. I mean, look at the track record of our defense contractors: they always over-deliver on-time and under budget. How could we possibly not have this capability. And here's an artist's concept of this thing totally definitely happening, look, fancy! We are totally not behind in tech on this!
No way is the US a rapidly-declining-into-third-world-and-actually-wasteland shithole country, definitely not! No sireee.
All this money that we sink into the bottomless pit that is defense and what do we get in return? FUCK ALL.
Oh wait no, we get dead brown kids too whose relatives now want to harm us! Great Job y'all! Wonderful way of keeping us 'safe'.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Wednesday April 06 2022, @04:34PM (2 children)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 06 2022, @11:42PM (1 child)
To make it more believable. Duh.
(Score: 2, Informative) by khallow on Wednesday April 06 2022, @11:44PM
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Rosco P. Coltrane on Wednesday April 06 2022, @03:46PM (6 children)
The more ashamed I am to be a member of the human race. War is to humanity what crack is crackheads: it revels in it, self-destructs with it, and clearly has no intention of quitting despite its hald-hearted promises to try.
I'm less and less comvinced there's anything worth keeping in mankind.
(Score: 2) by hopdevil on Thursday April 07 2022, @01:47AM (4 children)
If the human race keeps insisting on it's warlike, self destructive nature, despite what you think is "right".. maybe you are the one who is wrong?
(Score: -1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 07 2022, @03:31AM (3 children)
I considered that. Orwell's constant war for war's sake (and propaganda, and the all important 10 minutes hate and hate week) is compelling. Men just like killing each other, so maybe we should just let them go do it. Designate some region of the world "the front" and let them go wild.
Women are perfectly capable of running things without men. There could be a lot of benefits.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 07 2022, @12:38PM (2 children)
How cute. You actually think women don't lust for violence and domination in the same way as the rest of the stupid apes.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 07 2022, @05:03PM
You are hanging out with the wromg crowd, and war is not in our nature. Greed and hate are what drive wars, and as a society we could greatly diminish both and break out of the cycle.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 08 2022, @12:13AM
GP here. Yes, you're correct. My feminist programming and rape training has been difficult to undo. Let me try again:
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 07 2022, @03:51PM
I'm more worried about this "let's just imagine we are something we are not and ignore reality and cancel everyone who doesn't know what kind of thing i am this week"-trend that is going on. You don't get anything actually done or make the world a better place like that.
(Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 06 2022, @04:34PM (2 children)
300 miles in 5 minutes sounds good to me. I rarely visit NY City (about 300 miles away) because the options for getting there aren't great. What would that 5 minute ride cost?
And how long would I have to stand in the damn TSA line before boarding??
(Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Wednesday April 06 2022, @06:10PM
Probably about what Concorde [wikipedia.org] tickets used to cost.
"Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 07 2022, @01:47PM
is not the tsa boarding line you should worry about, much more the arrival in Manhatten at mach 5.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 06 2022, @06:08PM (3 children)
Russia already knew about the missile and the results of any testing long before the the announcement.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 06 2022, @06:28PM (2 children)
It's probably old technology to USA, maybe even a 20 year old off the shelf (at Area 51) missile.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 06 2022, @09:42PM (1 child)
The U.S. superiority myth is strong.
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/12/29/defense-act-makes-hypersonic-top-priority-calls-for-investing-billions.html [cnbc.com]
https://www.defensenews.com/congress/2022/03/10/congress-nixes-air-force-plans-to-buy-hypersonics-this-year-after-test-failures/ [defensenews.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 06 2022, @11:46PM
Think of all the
sweet grant money being being sucked up by fat researchersimportant defense priorities. We need to fund this asap.(Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 06 2022, @06:24PM (1 child)
Pics or it never happened. I bet that two weeks after Russia launches its super-hypersonic missile, Sleepy Joe's going to wake up and say that we launched one back in 1957 but kept it quiet to avoid antagonizing Estonia.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 06 2022, @06:27PM
The pics pics are all blurry, damn thing went by too fast!
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Phoenix666 on Wednesday April 06 2022, @09:14PM
I am no member of the Military Industrial Complex, past or present. In my youth during the latter half of the Cold War I did read Popular Mechanics fairly avidly, and I recall them publishing many issues talking about scramjets. A lot of it was associated with Star Wars (the anti-ICBM defense system, not the movies), but they were definitely working on it back then.
In fact, I recall not too many years ago some article on Soylent or /. talking about how they finally got scramjets working properly.
They must have working models in a shed.
Washington DC delenda est.