US defense giants Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman have been awarded contracts to develop missiles that could protect the United States from hypersonic attacks, the Pentagon announced Friday.

Hypersonic missiles, like traditional ballistic missiles, can fly more than five times the speed of sound (Mach 5).

But they are more maneuverable than their ballistic counterparts and can trace a low trajectory in the atmosphere, making them harder to defend against.

The three contracts were awarded for the development of glide phase interceptors and together are worth more than $60 million, the Pentagon said.

In October the United States successfully tested hypersonic missile technology, which is already being deployed by China and Russia.

The Pentagon recently confirmed that China in August carried out a test of a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile that would be difficult to defend against, and has said that Beijing is expanding its arsenal more quickly than anticipated.

Related Links
Learn about missile defense at SpaceWar.com
All about missiles at SpaceWar.com

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The Space Media Network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceMediaNetwork Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceMediaNetwork Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Russia test fires Zircon hypersonic missile
Moscow (AFP) Nov 18, 2021
Russia said on Thursday it had carried out another succesful test of its Zircon hypersonic cruise missile, one the latest additions to the country's arsenal of weapons called "invincible" by President Vladimir Putin. Moscow has in recent years touted the development of weapons that it hopes will give it the edge in any arms race with the United States at a time of growing tensions with the West. Hypersonics can travel more than five times the speed of sound and manoeuvre in mid-flight, making th ... read more