Mike Stone

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – The Navy announced that the Pentagon tested a booster rocket engine on Thursday to propel a hypersonic weapon-laden launch vehicle.

United States and global competitors have intensified efforts to create hypersonic weapons. These are the next generation arms that deprive adversaries of their ability to react quickly and use traditional defeat mechanisms. As they develop detection and defeat methods, defense contractors are hoping to make a profit.

A top U.S. army officer has confirmed that China had conducted a hypersonic weapons testing. Experts believe this shows Beijing is pursuing an Earth-orbiting device to defeat American missile defenses.

“We’re on track for the flight test of our full common hypersonic rocket,” stated Vice Admiral Johnny Wolfe Jr. Director, Navy Strategic Systems Programs. He is the lead designer and inventor for this common hypersonic ballistic missile. The flight test will take place in fiscal 2022.

In Kodiak (Alaska), the U.S. failed to pass the hypersonic weapon test. The booster also failed.

The common hypersonic missile will be used by the U.S. military to create weapon systems or launchers that can be launched from land or sea.

Common hypersonic missiles consist of the first-stage solid rocket motor, which will be part of a new missile booster that is combined with Common Hypersonic Glide Body.

According to the Navy, this was the first static fire test in which a first-stage solid rocket motor had incorporated a thrust control system. The thrust vector control system allows the rocket motors’ maneuverability in flight.

Prior tests by U.S. Navy Strategic Systems Programs of the first stage solid-rock rocket motor were performed to test the engine. They are used for the Navy’s Conventional Prompt Strike offensive hypersonic striking capability (CPS) and the Army’s Long Range Hypersonic Weapons (LRHW) development.

Armes manufacturers Lockheed Martin Corp (NYSE : Northrop-Grumman Corp (NYSE;) and Raytheon Technologies(NYSE:) Corp highlighted their hypersonic weapon programs during their quarterly earnings call this week, as the world’s attention shifted towards the emerging weapons class.