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Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
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.
Epoch Times
02-05-2025
- Science
- Epoch Times
US Navy Successfully Tests Sea-Based Hypersonic Missile Launch
The U.S. Navy announced on Friday it had achieved a significant milestone in its hypersonic weapons program with the first At Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on May 2, the Navy conducted the first end-to-end flight test of the Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) missile using a cold-gas ejection method, Navy officials said in a statement. They described the approach as being able to safely eject the missile from the launch platform before igniting its first stage—a critical feature for shipboard launches, the Navy added. Vice Adm. Johnny R. Wolfe Jr., Director of the Navy's Strategic Systems Programs, said the system is progressing toward deployment. '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 in the statement. '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 missile is a joint development between the Navy and the Army's Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office and features the Common Hypersonic Glide Body (C-HGB)—a The missile is designed to travel at speeds above Mach 5 and maneuver mid-flight, making it difficult to detect and intercept. Mach 5 speeds are 5 times the speed of sound, or Related Stories 1/6/2025 11/23/2024 Unlike the subsonic Tomahawk cruise missile—long considered the Navy's The USS Zumwalt, a stealth destroyer, is set to become the first naval vessel to deploy the CPS system. The ship is undergoing modifications to install four 87-inch vertical launch tubes, each capable of holding three hypersonic missiles, allowing it to carry up to 12 total. These tubes are replacing the ship's original 155mm Advanced Gun Systems, which were retired due to the prohibitive cost of ammunition. While the U.S. marks a milestone with this launch, it is not the first nation to demonstrate sea-based hypersonic capability. Russia has already conducted multiple successful The Navy emphasized that the successful test reflects the Pentagon's broader effort to accelerate hypersonic weapons development. While the Zumwalt's U.S. officials say new strike capabilities like the CPS missile are essential to preserving the American military advantage and deterring future threats.
