Deputy Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (KNSH) The US Armed Forces (AF) General John Hyten said that China is ahead of Russia in the development of hypersonic weapons. This is reported by TASS .
At the same time, the Pentagon representative acknowledged during a meeting with the Washington Group of Military Observers (Defense Writers Group) that Russia has already carried out the operational deployment of hypersonic weapons. Moscow is acting publicly, so it declared it within the framework of the Treaty on Measures for Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (START-3), he said, calling it a good argument in favor of arms control agreements.
Hyten explained that Russia has deployed four types of hypersonic nuclear weapons on intercontinental ballistic missiles. The United States, under the terms of the agreement, can send inspectors to inspect them and understand the actions of the Russian armed forces.
According to the general, Moscow began the production of hypersonic systems in response to the construction of missile defense complexes by the United States, even despite the fact that American missile defense systems are aimed at North Korea, not Russia or China.
"And they continue to experiment with hypersonic weapons. But not at the same pace as China. Not even close to the same pace as China," Hyten added, explaining that China has conducted hundreds of tests over the past five years, while the United States has conducted only nine.
According to a Pentagon spokesman, Russia's deployment of even a small number of hypersonic weapons is a political signal. When they are created in all armed forces, it causes concern, he concluded.
Earlier, the Global Times reported that weapons for the destruction of ports were tested in China. The Chinese military destroyed a training target with an underwater explosion. According to the publication, the purpose of the tests was to work out a new tactic to disrupt enemy communications. Also, underwater explosions can make large ships of a likely enemy vulnerable.
Marina Sovina