U.S. reveals test of hypersonic missile in mid-March

WASHINGTON, April 5 (Xinhua) -- The United States revealed on Tuesday a recent test of a hypersonic weapon.

The test that took place in mid-March was kept quiet for two weeks to "avoid escalating tensions with Russia," CNN reported, citing a U.S. defense official familiar with the matter.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) -- the Pentagon's research and development branch -- said that they completed a free flight test of the Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept (HAWC).

This is the second successful flight in the DARPA's HAWC program. Last September, a different vehicle configuration from another contractor team also reached hypersonic flight.

The HAWC is a cooperation program between the DARPA and U.S. Air Force to develop air-launched hypersonic cruise missiles.

Air-breathing vehicles utilize air captured from the atmosphere to achieve sustained propulsion.

The speed and maneuverability of such hypersonic cruise missiles allow both evasion of defenses and quick strikes.

In the defense budget for the fiscal year 2023, the White House asked for 7.2 billion U.S. dollars for developing and fielding long range fires, including hypersonic missiles.

A U.S. government agency has identified 70 efforts related to the development of hypersonic weapons, expected to cost nearly 15 billion dollars between 2015 and 2024.