OREANDA-NEWS. The American magazine Popular Mechanics published an article that reported that the United States was three to six years behind Russia and China in hypersonic weapons.

The publication, in particular, says that Russia already has the Kinzhal hypersonic missile system, which includes the MiG-31 supersonic fighter-interceptor and the Avangard unit, launched by the UR-100N UTTKh intercontinental ballistic missile.

The Chinese hypersonic aircraft DF-ZF has a shorter flight range than the Avangard, the authors of the article claim.

“US intelligence reports do not provide details about the destructive power of the DF-ZF, but note that it is capable of carrying a nuclear charge. Reports specify that the vehicle is intended to be used as an anti-ship weapon capable of sinking American aircraft carriers.

Since 2010, the United States has conducted 17 different tests of hypersonic missiles, and 10 of them have failed. The latest US test, conducted in March 2022, was successful, but it will be at least another year before America adopts hypersonic weapons. The US is currently developing more than 70 hypersonic weapons programs with $3.8 billion allocated in 2022 alone. race, writes Popular Mechanics.

Earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry said that the Kinzhal missile had confirmed its combat effectiveness during a special operation in Ukraine.