If we look beyond the literal, and grasp for a vaster sense of the way in which the world is lining up, we can begin to see the first manifestations of something large looming on the horizon.
In the wings, moving slowly and stealthily, are the authoritarian nations of the world. They’re congealing in a way, strengthening their bonds and becoming more forceful as the years pass on. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been partially finance by China and partially armored by Iran, for instance.
And so the United States finds itself once again staring at a major threat to freedom the world over. Normally, we would just wave our military’s “big stick” in the air and watch all the petty tyrants shrink back into their throne rooms. But the global pecking order has changed a bit in that regard, now that China and Russia both appear to have successfully tested hypersonic missiles…something that the United States hadn’t accomplished until this week.
The United States successfully tested two Lockheed Martin Corp hypersonic missiles recently, the Pentagon said on Wednesday, amid growing concerns Russia and China have had more success developing their own hypersonic weapons.
The U.S. Air Force confirmed it successfully tested its Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) booster on Tuesday off the California coast. Reuters reported the ARRW test earlier on Wednesday in which the booster was carried aloft under the wing of a B-52H before it was launched. In previous tests, the weapon did not detach from the plane.
“This second successful test demonstrates ARRW’s ability to reach and withstand operational hypersonic speeds, collect crucial data for use in further flight tests, and validate safe separation from the aircraft,” Lockheed said in a statement.
Hypersonic missiles can move as quickly as 3,800 miles per hour and evade any known missile defense systems on the planet. This means that a missile launched from the Liberty Bell could be on the Kremlin’s doorstep in just over an hour’s time.
The announcement comes after months of Russian threats of nuclear annihilation, in which the Kremlin suggested that they would user their hypersonic arsenal to obliterate any nation that attempted to to interfere with their genocide in Ukraine.
