Hypersonics

Pentagon confirms development of hypersonic weapons after Trump talks up ‘super duper missiles’

A Defense Department spokesman on Friday confirmed that the Pentagon is developing hypersonic weapons after President Trump, earlier in the day, claimed the existence of a “super duper missile.”

“The Department of Defense is working on developing a range of hypersonic missiles to counter our adversaries,” tweeted Jonathan Hoffman, the Defense Department press secretary.

During an Oval Office ceremony on Friday afternoon marking the newly unveiled official flag of the U.S. Space Force (USSF), Trump told reporters how the U.S. is building “incredible military equipment.”

“We have -- I call it the super duper missile,” the president said, “and I heard the other night 17 times faster than what they have right now, when you take the fastest missile we have right now.”

He added, “You’ve heard Russia has five times and China’s working on five or six times, we have one 17 times and it’s just gotten the go-ahead.”

It wasn’t immediately clear what the president was referring to, and White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany directed questions about the weapon to the Pentagon.

Trump on Friday was presented with the newly unveiled official flag of the USSF — the official flag of the first new U.S. military branch in 72 years.