The Financial Times reported that China’s military has carried out its first-ever test of a “nuclear capable hypersonic missile”, however, China denied the reports insisting instead that it was a routine spacecraft check.
- The Financial Times said the missile circled the globe before speeding towards its target, demonstrating an advanced space capability that caught U.S. intelligence by surprise.
- The Financial Times noted that only the U.S., Russia and China were developing hypersonic glide vehicles, that are launched on rockets and then orbit the earth on their own speed. They are difficult to track because unlike ballistic missiles, they “do not follow the fixed parabolic trajectory”.
- A hypersonic missile is a vehicle that achieves a speed five times faster than the speed of sound, crossing Mach 5. These missiles travel at a speed of around 6,115 km per hour, with a combination of technology and manoeuvrability of ballistic missiles and cruise missiles.
- India has also developed Hypersonic Technology as the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully launched the Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV) in its maiden test.
CLICK HERE DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS QUIZ FOR STATE CIVIL SERVICES
