Pentagon: US Army, Navy Hold 3 Successful Tests in Bid to Advance Hypersonic Weapons' Development

Last month, the Pentagon successfully tested an air-breathing hypersonic weapon capable of moving five times faster than the speed of sound.

The US Navy and Army tested hypersonic weapon component prototypes on Wednesday, the Pentagon said.

All three tests were successful, it added.

The US Navy has confirmed that it conducted a weapons test with the Army that demonstrated advanced hypersonic technologies and capabilities.

"This test demonstrated advanced hypersonic technologies, capabilities, and prototype systems in a realistic operating environment," the Navy said in a press release. "Three precision sounding rocket launches were conducted containing hypersonic experiments from partners, including CPS, AHPO, the Joint Hypersonic Transition Office, SNL, Johns Hopkins University/Applied Physics Laboratory, MITRE, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and several defense contractors."

This comes after US President Joe Biden said this week that he was concerned about China testing a nuclear-capable hypersonic glide weapon. Earlier, the Financial Times reported, citing sources, that China had tested a weapon in August that flew through space and circled the planet before dropping altitude to hit a target, which it missed. Beijing denied the report, saying that it was a routine test of a space vehicle and not a missile.

Speaking during a press briefing on Wednesday, the White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said that Washington had voiced concerns about Chinese hypersonic missile technology via "diplomatic channels".

This comes as the US continues testing its own hypersonic weapons. In September, the Pentagon's Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency successfully tested an air-breathing hypersonic weapon capable of moving five times faster than the speed of sound. It was the first such test since 2013.