No Measures Exist To Counter Russian, Chinese Hypersonic Weapons - US Watchdog

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th December, 2018) No countermeasures or effective defense exists against the new generation of hypersonic weapons being developed by both Russia and China, the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) said in a report.

"China and Russia are pursuing hypersonic weapons because their speed, altitude, and maneuverability may defeat most missile defense systems, and they may be used to improve long-range conventional and nuclear strike capabilities," the report said on Thursday.

"There are no existing countermeasures."

The report also said that China and Russia are developing anti-satellite weapons to threaten US space operations. Beijing, the report claimed, is developing capabilities to conduct large-scale anti-satellite strikes using novel cyber and electronic means.

The report identified 26 long-range emerging threats that the United States faces in the areas of adversary military advancements, dual-use technologies, weapons and demographic changes.