Defense Ministry says weapon not directed at U.S.
China’s defense ministry on Friday confirmed a fourth test of a new hypersonic strike vehicle was carried out last week.
“The scheduled scientific research and experiments in our territory [are] normal, and those tests are not targeted at any country and specific goals,” said the ministry in response to a report of the test published Thursday by the Free Beacon.
U.S. defense officials disclosed the latest test of what the Pentagon calls the Wu-14 hypersonic glide vehicle and said the most recent test, conducted June 7 in western China, involved extreme maneuvers by the high-speed strike weapon.
The advanced strategic strike weapon travels at speed of up to 10 times the speed of sound, or more than 7,600 miles per hour.
The Wu-14 test was carried out amid heightened tensions between the United States and China over Chinese aggression in the South China Sea.
The test also took place days before a top Chinese military leader, Gen. Fan Changlong, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, met senior U.S. officials in Washington.
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Current U.S. missile defenses are not capable of countering maneuvering targets, such as the Wu-14. The U.S. government insists that its missile defenses are not designed to counter Chinese or Russian strategic missiles.
The Wu-14 can travel up to 10 times the speed of sound, or around 7,680 miles per hour.
Full article: China Confirms Hypersonic Missile Test (Washington Free Beacon)
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