Defense

US general warns of hypersonic weapons threat from Russia and China

Hyten and other military officials say the current generation of missile detecting satellites and radars won't be enough to detect these new generation weapons. Hypersonic is generally defined as a speed of Mach 5 or over 3,806 miles per hour.

"We've watched them test those capabilities," Hyten told Congress last week. But with unusual public candor about potential US military shortfalls, he acknowledged "we don't have any defense that could deny the employment of such a weapon against us, so our response would be our deterrent force, which would be the triad and the nuclear capabilities that we have to respond to such a threat."

Hypersonic missiles fly into space after launch, but then come down and fly at high speeds on a flight path similar to an airplane. Their lower trajectory make them more difficult for US missile defense satellites and radars to detect. Russia has openly stated it is developing high-speed air-launched missiles as well as underwater hypersonic drones.