Agency: A Chinese test of a hypersonic missile designed to evade American nuclear defenses was “very close” to a “Sputnik moment” for the U.S., Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said on Wednesday. His remarks confirmed how Beijing’s test took American officials by surprise.
The tests, General Milley said, were a “very significant technological event,” and he said “it has all of our attention.”
Hypersonic missiles can quickly maneuver and alter course, and they are virtually impossible for existing U.S. defenses to intercept.
Details: Two separate tests took place this summer that made it clear the hypersonic missile could be launched to go over Antarctica. U.S. systems are all pointed west and north over the Pacific, meaning they might fail in countering an attack from the south.
