China mounts third hypersonic 'Wu-14' missile test, US report says

The People's Liberation Army conducted a third flight test of a new hypersonic missile this week after the weapon's second test failed in August, according to a US report.

The hypersonic glide vehicle, dubbed the "Wu-14" by the United States, was spotted by US intelligence agencies on Tuesday during a flight test in western China, US-based online newspaper the Washington Free Beacon reported, citing US defence officials.

The US officials said the test was part of China's strategic nuclear programme and efforts to develop delivery vehicles capable of penetrating US defences.

The tests indicated that China's development of a strike vehicle capable of travelling at up to eight times the speed of sound was a high priority in the country's large-scale military buildup, the report said.

A Pentagon spokesman confirmed the report of the test but declined to provide details.

"We are aware of reports regarding this test and we routinely monitor foreign weapon systems," the report quoted Pentagon spokesman Jeff Pool as saying. "However, we don't comment on our intelligence or assessments of foreign weapon systems."