FASTER? PLEASE! A US Air Force bomber successfully launched a fully-operational hypersonic missile in a milestone weapon test. “Once the missile was released from the B-52, it hit speeds faster than five times the speed of sound — a requirement for a weapon to technically be considered hypersonic, completed its journey along a set flight path, and detonated in a target area, the Air Force said. This test marked the first time that a fully-operational air-launched hypersonic missile prototype has been launched. Previous testing focused on rocket booster performance, with the first successful booster test occurring in May.”