Russia says it tested a hypersonic missile capable of traveling at 10 times the speed of sound. According to the BBC, the country's defense ministry released a video showing the Kinzhal missile as it detached from a fighter jet. The officials said the test was a success. "The launch went according to plan: the hypersonic missile hit its target," the ministry reportedly said. The weapon, which is named after a type of dagger, is one of a cache of new weapons Russian President Vladimir Putin announced in a state address earlier this month, per the Guardian. Putin reportedly called the Kinzhal an "ideal weapon."
Ideal or not, the official US stance on the development appears to be that Putin is wasting his nation's money on a show of force. "I saw no change to the Russian military capability," US Defense Secretary James Mattis told reporters. "They do not impact any need on our side for a change in our deterrence posture." Putin's unveiling of the military technologies comes as he's poised for likely re-election this month. Russia has also announced the development of an underwater drone capable of blasting coastlines with a powerful nuclear explosion and a futuristic nuclear-powered cruise missile capable of circling the globe. (More Russia stories.)
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