China’s hypersonic test close to being a ‘Sputnik moment’, says US general

US general Mark Milley described the Chinese hypersonic test as close to being ‘a Sputnik moment’ (Rui Vieira/PA)

China recently conducted a “very concerning” test of a hypersonic weapon system as part of its aggressive advance in space and military technologies, the United States’ top military officer has said.

General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was the first Pentagon official to confirm on the record the nature of a test this year by the Chinese military that the Financial Times had reported was a nuclear-capable hypersonic weapon that was launched into space and orbited the Earth before re-entering the atmosphere and gliding toward its target in China.