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US Senators Point to 'Hypersonic Gap' With Russia, China

Eunjung Cho

   U.S. senators are concerned Russia and China may outpace Washington in
   developing hypersonic weapons.

   In a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing Thursday with top defense
   officials, lawmakers expressed concern about the weapons that fly at
   five times the speed of sound, or Mach 5.

   Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthalof Connecticutcalled the
   hypersonic weapons "a game-changer." Independent Senator Angus Kingof
   Mainecalled them "a nightmare weapon for aircraft carriers."

   "It sounds to me as if hypersonic weapons and other future weapons have
   been more advanced by other countries such as China, even Russia coming
   back into the scene in a real aggressive way'¦ are we going to deter
   them from moving forward?" asked Democratic Senator Joe Manchinof West
   Virginia.

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