U.S. Air Force says it conducted successful hypersonic weapon test

(Patria) - The United States Air Force said on Tuesday it conducted a successful test of an air-launched hypersonic weapon, Reuters reported.

The test was carried out on Sunday after a B-52 bomber departed the Pacific island of Guam carrying the Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW), the Air Force said in a statement.

Although the U.S. Air Force called the test successful, it did not disclose the missile's flight speed. In previous tests, the ARRW, also known as the AGM-183, flew at least five times the speed of sound.

The United States is not alone in developing hypersonic weapons, whose speed and maneuverability make them difficult to track and intercept.

Russia has fired hypersonic missiles at targets in Ukraine, and China has tested hypersonic weapons, U.S. military officials have said. China's Foreign Ministry denied in October that it had conducted a weapon test.