OREANDA-NEWS. The US Department of Defense will begin active testing of hypersonic weapons in 2020.

This was reported by Charles A. Richard, the head of the US Strategic Command, on February 13. According to the officer, the Pentagon starts to actively conduct flight tests in many areas, and its specialists are preparing an industrial base for the production of hypersonic systems.

Richard noted that 2020 is a key year for the development of this type of weapon. He emphasized that its creation will be able to provide a permanent global presence aimed at influencing the behavior of the adversaries at all stages of the conflict without crossing the nuclear threshold. According to the Commander, hypersonic systems can provide effective deterrence all over the world.