(The Epoch Times)—The U.S. Navy announced on Friday it had achieved a significant milestone in its hypersonic weapons program with the first successful U.S. test of a sea-based launch system.
At Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on May 2, the Navy conducted the first end-to-end flight test of the Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) missile using a cold-gas ejection method, Navy officials said in a statement. They described the approach as being able to safely eject the missile from the launch platform before igniting its first stage—a critical feature for shipboard launches, the Navy added.
Vice Adm. Johnny R. Wolfe Jr., Director of the Navy’s Strategic Systems Programs, said the system is progressing toward deployment.
“The cold-gas approach allows the Navy to eject the missile from the platform and achieve a safe distance above the ship prior to first stage ignition,” Wolfe said in the statement. “This technical achievement brings SSP one step closer to fulfilling our role of providing a safe and reliable hypersonic capability to our Navy.”
The CPS missile is a joint development between the Navy and the Army’s Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office and features the Common Hypersonic Glide Body (C-HGB)—a maneuverable warhead that detaches mid-flight and glides to its target at hypersonic speeds.
The missile is designed to travel at speeds above Mach 5 and maneuver mid-flight, making it difficult to detect and intercept. Mach 5 speeds are 5 times the speed of sound, or approximately 3,835 miles per hour. Its estimated range is around 1,725 miles.
Unlike the subsonic Tomahawk cruise missile—long considered the Navy’s premier long-range strike weapon—the new hypersonic system offers dramatically greater speed, maneuverability, and survivability against modern air defenses.
The USS Zumwalt, a stealth destroyer, is set to become the first naval vessel to deploy the CPS system. The ship is undergoing modifications to install four 87-inch vertical launch tubes, each capable of holding three hypersonic missiles, allowing it to carry up to 12 total. These tubes are replacing the ship’s original 155mm Advanced Gun Systems, which were retired due to the prohibitive cost of ammunition.
While the U.S. marks a milestone with this launch, it is not the first nation to demonstrate sea-based hypersonic capability. Russia has already conducted multiple successful tests of its Tsirkon hypersonic missile, including a 2021 ship-based launch in the White Sea. China, meanwhile, has tested land- and air-launched hypersonic systems, though no confirmed sea-based tests have been reported.
The Navy emphasized that the successful test reflects the Pentagon’s broader effort to accelerate hypersonic weapons development. While the Zumwalt’s retrofit is expected to be completed by the end of 2025, broader operational testing may continue into 2027.
U.S. officials say new strike capabilities like the CPS missile are essential to preserving the American military advantage and deterring future threats.
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