Sputnik Moment: Top US General Terms Chinese Hypersonic Missile Test
China's recent test of an earth-circling hypersonic missile was comparable to Sputnik's first satellite launch, the US Top General says.
Editorial Staff
Sputnik Moment: Top US General Terms Chinese Hypersonic Missile Test
Washington, D.C., October 27, 2021 – China's recent test of an earth-circling hypersonic missile, the Pentagon's top general said Wednesday, was comparable to the Soviet Union's dramatic 1957 launch of the world's first satellite, Sputnik, which began the superpowers' space race. For the first time, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley verified China's test of a nuclear-capable missile that would be extremely tough to defend against. "What we witnessed was a historic occurrence involving a test of a hypersonic missile system. And it is quite alarming "Milley stated on Bloomberg Television. "I'm not sure if this is quite a Sputnik moment, but I believe it is very near," he remarked. "This is a historic technological event that occurred... and it has captured our entire attention." The Pentagon previously declined to confirm the test, which was initially reported on October 16 by the Financial Times. According to the newsp…
