Question: What is the name given to the hypersonic missile recently tested by USA?
a) DF-17
b) Zircon
c) Avangard
d) None of these
Answer: (d)
Related Facts:-
- On 20 October 2021; the United States successfully tested hypersonic missile technology.
- The test, conducted at a NASA facility in Wallops, Virginia
- The US Navy stated that it is a vital step in the development of a Navy-designed common hypersonic missile.
- It should be noted that hypersonic missile is a new weapons system which is already being deployed by China and Russia.
- US Navy informed that the test demonstrated advanced hypersonic technologies, capabilities, and prototype systems in a realistic operating environment.
- Hypersonic missiles, like traditional ballistic missiles, can fly more than five times the speed of sound (Mach 5).
- These missiles are more maneuverable than their ballistic counterparts and can trace a low trajectory in the atmosphere, making them harder to defend against.
- China’s Hypersonic Medium-Range Missile:
- China unveiled a hypersonic medium-range missile, the DF-17, in 2019, which can travel around 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) and can carry nuclear warheads.
- Russia’s Hypersonic Missile:
- Russia recently launched a hypersonic missile, the Zircon, from a submarine, and since late 2019 has had the hypersonic nuclear-capable Avangard missiles in service.
- The Avangard can travel at up to Mach 27, changing course and altitude.
- USA’s Plan:
- The US defense department Pentagon has a plan to deploy its first hypersonic weapons by 2025.