A U.S. hypersonic missile test failed because of the complexities of the rocket's design, according to a Russian defense analyst, who said that perfecting the project might take some time On Thursday, the Pentagon announced the failure of the Common Hypersonic Glide Body (CHGB) test amid concerns that the U.S. is falling behind Russia and China in developing the weapons whose speed and maneuverability make them hard to defend against.

The test at Hawaii's Pacific Missile Range Facility was supposed to launch the weapon system on top of a two-stage missile booster, which would accelerate it to more than five times the speed of sound (Mach 5). Then the glide body would detach and use its speed to reach the target.

Pentagon spokesman Lieutenant Commander Tim Gorman said "an anomaly occurred following ignition of the test asset" without further specifying the nature of the anomaly or what stage of the test it had occurred.

"Program officials have initiated a review to determine the cause to inform future tests," he said in a statement, "the information gathered from this event will provide vital insights."

But Russian defense analyst Alexei Ramm told the Kremlin-friendly newspaper Izvestiahis view about what happened, describing how the test had been hit by a "second-stage failure."

"Of course, a failed test will not stop the project. At the same time, it is already clear that it is unlikely that American engineers will be able to quickly solve the problem," he said.

Ramm told the newspaper that the presence of a second stage showed that the design of the rocket is too complex with high-tech elements that needed to be integrated. The newspaper said that this is a long process requiring much testing and launches.

Newsweek