Washington, Oct 5 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Oct, 2021 ) :North Korea's test of a hypersonic missile last week sparked new concerns about the race to acquire the alarming technology that is hard to defend against and could unsettle the global nuclear balance.
Russia, which said Monday it had test-launched a hypersonic missile from a submerged submarine for the first time, leads the race, followed by China and the United States, and at least five other countries are working on the technology.
Hypersonic missiles, like traditional ballistic missiles which can deliver nuclear weapons, can fly more than five times the speed of sound.
But ballistic missiles fly high into space in an arc to reach their target, while a hypersonic flies on a trajectory low in the atmosphere, potentially reaching a target more quickly.
Crucially, a hypersonic missile is maneuverable (like the much slower, often subsonic cruise missile), making it harder to track and defend against.
While countries like the United States have developed systems designed to defend against cruise and ballistic missiles, the ability to track and take down a hypersonic missile remains a question.
Hypersonic missiles can be used to deliver conventional warheads, more rapidly and precisely than other missiles.
But their capacity to deliver nuclear weapons could add to a country's threat, increasing the danger of a nuclear conflict.
Russia, China, the United States and now North Korea have all test-launched...
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