Sea-based hypersonic missile launch system clears key test as US reveals secret launch
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways
The Department of Defense (DoD) on Friday revealed that the missile launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on April 25 successfully demonstrated an end-to-end hypersonic flight test, marking the first use of a sea-based cold-gas launch system.
This system, which safely ejects the missile from a ship platform before ignition, is expected to play a key role in future advanced weapon deployments at sea, including aboard the USS Zumwalt.
In a press release, the Pentagon noted that data gathered from the test will support continued development of the Common All-Up Round (AUR), a joint hypersonic missile being developed for both the Navy and Army.
'The speed, range, and survivability of hypersonic weapons are key to integrated deterrence for America,' Secretary of the Navy John Phelan said. 'When fielded, Conventional Prompt Strike will deliver unmatched capabilities to our warfighters.'
Cold launch, big leap
The test comes as the United States intensifies its efforts to build hypersonic capabilities, joining Russia and China in a growing global race to master the technology. Russia has reportedly used hypersonic missiles in Ukraine, while China has denied testing such weapons, despite U.S. military claims.
Vice Adm. Johnny R. Wolfe Jr., Director of the Navy's Strategic Systems Programs (SSP), emphasized that the cold-gas launch approach moves the Navy closer to safely deploying hypersonic systems.
'The cold-gas approach allows the Navy to eject the missile from the platform and achieve a safe distance above the ship prior to first-stage ignition,' Wolfe said. 'This technical achievement brings SSP one step closer to fulfilling our role of providing a safe and reliable hypersonic capability to our Navy.'
The CPS program has been critical in preparing for the first Navy deployment aboard the Zumwalt.
Prior to the flight test, the program conducted an extensive test campaign using an in-air launch test facility to validate the launch approach.
Information gathered from the test will help inform continued development of the AUR and its integration with surface ship platforms, the Navy said.
Silent test, loud message
The DoD maintained complete secrecy as it fired skyward from Launch Complex 46 on April 25 to conduct the test in one of the first war missile launches from Cape Canaveral since 1988. A navigational warning issued by the U.S. Coast Guard hinted at a hypersonic test flight, outlining a broad security zone stretching into the Atlantic Ocean.
'A combined team of government, academic, and industry partners conducted a test on behalf of the Department of Defense from a test site at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. We are currently evaluating the results of the test,' a DoD spokesperson told Florida Today at the time, without disclosing further details.
The swift advancement of sea-based hypersonic strike systems is seen as a significant boost to the U.S. military's ability to deter—or if necessary, defeat—strategic threats.
The range, speed, precision, and survivability of hypersonic weapons represent a major leap in U.S. conventional strike capability, complementing existing systems and bolstering its edge against high-end adversaries.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Associated Press
3 hours ago
- Associated Press
Lockheed Martin's AI Fight Club™ Puts AI to the Test for National Security
Challengers across industry will face off in head-to-head battles simulating real-world scenarios Initiative creates a virtual environment, aligned to DOD standards, to test and develop the best AI systems for defense applications BETHESDA, Md., June 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] is pioneering a competitive environment designed to accelerate the testing and operational deployment of artificial intelligence to support warfighters in their missions. Lockheed Martin's AI Fight Club™ is a comprehensive testing ground to simulate how AI systems perform in air, land, sea, and space domains. 'There has never been a more important time to prove which implementations of AI technologies are the best, to help the United States stay ahead of the threats facing our nation and allies,' said John Clark, Lockheed Martin's senior vice president of Technology and Strategic Innovation. 'AI Fight Club uses advanced simulation and visualization to evaluate AI in realistic and complex scenarios that mimic the challenges of modern warfare. Teams with the best AI will battle each other to determine the most robust, reliable and effective models.' A Proving Ground for the Best AI in the Nation AI Fight Club will use a synthetic environment developed by Lockheed Martin that simulates realistic scenarios across domains. This gives companies and teams of all sizes the opportunity to test their models in simulations that meet Department of Defense (DOD) qualifications. AI models will meet exacting DOD standards that are an integral part of the AI Fight Club proving ground, demonstrating the feasibility of the models for national security. Ultimately, events will bring together teams from across the industry and government experts to collaborate in a unique environment that fosters innovation, identifies vulnerabilities and informs the development of more advanced AI systems to benefit national security as a whole. How it works What's next? Lockheed Martin is actively developing the virtual arena that will host the first AI Fight Club. The company expects to complete the simulation environment by the end of Q3 2025, with the first AI Fight Club competition scheduled for Q4 2025. Lockheed Martin is announcing AI Fight Club now to give interested teams time to refine their AI and put their best foot forward and take on challengers. Teams interested in competing can visit or email [email protected] for more information. About Lockheed Martin Lockheed Martin is a global defense technology company driving innovation and advancing scientific discovery. Our all-domain mission solutions and 21st Century Security® vision accelerate the delivery of transformative technologies to ensure those we serve always stay ahead of ready. More information at View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Lockheed Martin
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Keel laid for guided-missile destroyer USS Quentin Walsh
Construction has officially begun on the new Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer Quentin Walsh (DDG 132), named after a World War II hero and Navy Cross recipient. The vessel's keel was laid May 20 during a ceremony at General Dynamics' Bath Iron Works in Maine, during which Walsh's great-granddaughter, Madison Ann Zolper, welded her initials into the keel plate as is customary for a ship's sponsor. Walsh, a captain in the U.S. Coast Guard, helped plan the capture of Cherbourg in the days leading up to the invasion of Normandy on D-Day on June 6, 1944. He earned his place in history when, in a series of daring enterprises, he captured about 750 German soldiers with a force of 53 men and liberated 52 U.S. paratroopers in the wake of the D-Day landings. He continued to lead a life of military and community service after the war. 'We are honored to mark the beginning of the construction for the future USS Quentin Walsh and celebrate his legacy with his family. DDG 132 will provide our Navy with critical strategic capabilities to support Fleet readiness,' said Capt. Jay Young, Arleigh Burke-class destroyer program manager of Program Executive Office Ships, in a release. The vessel will be equipped with AN/SPY-6(V)1 Air and Missile Defense Radar, a four-sided phased array radar that can defend against a wide variety of missiles, including hypersonic missiles, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles. Ships equipped with SPY-6 radar technology can also counter threats from surface vessels and the air, as well as electronic attacks.
Miami Herald
5 hours ago
- Miami Herald
‘Russia's Pearl Harbor' Fuels Fears Over Chinese Cargo Ships at US Ports
Sunday's Ukrainian drone ambush on a Russian airbase more than 3,000 miles from the front lines has intensified a growing debate among U.S. military analysts over the plausibility of a similar attack launched from Chinese merchant vessels docked at American ports. The scenario has drawn scrutiny from lawmakers and security analysts alike following confirmation that COSCO Shipping-China's state-owned shipping giant-operates across key U.S. ports, despite being designated by the Department of Defense as a Chinese military company. At issue is whether drones or cruise missiles could be hidden in shipping containers aboard these vessels, activated remotely or after offloading, and used in a preemptive strike. "This is a very plausible form of attack in the U.S.," said Bryan Clark, senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and a former U.S. Navy officer. "But the attack would need to overcome several challenges," he told Newsweek. "The drones need to get out of the container, and that's hard to control aboard a ship. A more feasible approach would be to deploy the drones from a container once it's offloaded and moved on a truck." Retired Navy commander Thomas Shugart, now a fellow at the Center for a New American Security, has voiced a more urgent warning. "It is becoming borderline-insane that we routinely allow ships owned and operated by DoD-designated Chinese military companies to sit in our ports with thousands of containers onboard and under their control," Shugart said in a conversation with Newsweek. Shugart said the concept isn't speculative-it mirrors Chinese military writings. "Their Science of Campaigns is full of references to 'sudden' and 'surprise' strikes," he said, referring to a core text that Chinese military officers are expected to study. "They explicitly discuss hitting first, especially against what they call the 'powerful entity,' which is clearly a reference to the United States." The concerns are not just theoretical. In January, members of the House Committee on Homeland Security asked the U.S. Coast Guard for a classified briefing, citing COSCO's access to "major U.S. ports" and warning of risks including "espionage, cyber intrusions, sabotage, and supply chain disruptions," according to a letter sent in January. Zak Kallenborn, a researcher of drone and asymmetric warfare, acknowledged the technical possibility but questioned the timing. "A similar Chinese drone attack is definitely plausible and worth worrying about," he told Newsweek. "However, a Chinese attack is unlikely to come completely out of the blue. If China were to do this, we'd likely already be at war." Still, the lessons from Ukraine's recent drone strike on Russian airfields linger heavily in the minds of U.S. analysts and war planners grappling with the warp-speed progress of battlefield technological advancements like drone warfare. The operation on Sunday exposed how even hardened military targets can be neutralized by low-cost drones-deep inside a nuclear-armed adversary's territory where an enemy's conventional air power would be difficult to penetrate. For some of these experts, it raised uncomfortable parallels to U.S. vulnerabilities. Shugart said the U.S. shouldn't assume distance offers safety. "We've hardened some overseas air bases," he said. "But we still park billion-dollar aircraft in the open on our own soil. That's a risk." According to a March report from the Atlantic Council, China has developed and demonstrated containerized missile and drone platforms that can be covertly transported aboard commercial vessels. The report warned these systems could enable Beijing to establish "a covert way to establish anti-access/area denial nodes near major maritime choke points." Ukraine's Operation Spiderweb demonstrated how swarms of inexpensive, off-the-shelf drones-slightly modified to carry explosives and smuggled in wooden containers to be deployed remotely-can inflict billions of dollars in damage on strategic military assets, including long-range bombers. The contrast has fueled criticism of more traditional defense approaches, such as President Donald Trump's proposed "Golden Dome" missile shield, which analysts say may be poorly matched to emerging low-cost threats. The regulatory environment surrounding drones is also a major factor in the growing risk, experts say. "We don't have a drone transportation and logistics system," military theorist John Robb wrote on X. "The FAA strangled it in the crib a decade ago. If the FCC had regulated the internet the way we've handled drones, we'd still be using AOL." Robb advocates for a national drone framework with built-in security measures: "Monitoring, kill switches, no-fly zones, hardware and software rules, maintenance requirements, and corporate certification." In Congress, lawmakers continue to press the Coast Guard to ensure more stringent vetting of foreign vessels, crew members and cargo. "The vetting process must be consistent and comprehensive across all U.S. ports," the Homeland Security Committee wrote in its January request. The committee also raised concerns about Chinese political officers allegedly embedded aboard COSCO vessels, which it argued underscores direct Chinese Communist Party influence over ostensibly commercial operations. For analysts like Clark, the technology is only part of the equation. The more pressing concern is readiness. "If China believes it can use relatively small drones to cause major damage, and we've done nothing to detect or deter it, that's a vulnerability we can't afford to ignore," he said. Related Articles Putin Ally Says Ukraine Operation 'Grounds for Nuclear Attack'Are the Russia-Ukraine Peace Talks Going Anywhere? | OpinionSteve Bannon Says Lindsey Graham Should Be Arrested Over Ukraine SupportWhat 'Russia's Pearl Harbor' Says About Trump's Golden Dome 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
