Hypersonic missiles, Russia's lethal weapon 3:07
(CNN) --
The United States successfully tested a hypersonic missile in mid-March but kept it secret for two weeks to avoid escalating tensions in relations with Russia ahead of President Joe Biden's visit to Europe, according to a report. senior defense official familiar with the matter.
The hypersonic air-breathing weapon (HAWC) prototype was launched from a B-52 bomber off the West Coast in the first successful test of Lockheed Martin's version of the system, the official said.
A booster engine accelerated the missile to high speed, at which point the air-breathing scramjet engine ignited and propelled the missile to hypersonic speeds of Mach 5 and above.
The official offered scant details of the missile's test, saying only that it flew above 65,000 feet and for more than 300 miles.
But even at the low end of hypersonic range - about 3,800 miles per hour - a 300-mile flight is less than 5 minutes.
In this Aug. 8 file photo, a B-52H Stratofortress assigned to the 419th Flight Test Squadron takes off from Edwards Air Force Base, California.
The test came days after Russia said it had used its own hypersonic missile during its invasion of Ukraine, saying it was targeting an ammunition depot in the west of the country.
US officials downplayed the Russians' use of their Kinzhal hypersonic missile.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he did not see it as "a change in strategy" after the Russians announced the launch of the missile.
Days later, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said it was "hard to know exactly what the rationale was" for the launch, since it was targeting a stationary storage facility.
"It's a pretty hefty deck to take out a target like that," Kirby said at the time.
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The Kinzhal missile is simply an air-launched version of the Russian Iskander short-range ballistic missile.
In other words, this is a variation on established technology, rather than a revolution in hypersonic weaponry.
The US test was of a more sophisticated and difficult air-breathing scramjet engine.
The HAWC missile also does not have a warhead, instead relying on its kinetic energy to destroy the target.
At the time of the US test, Biden was preparing for a visit to NATO allies in Europe, which included a stop in Poland, where he met with Ukraine's foreign minister and defense minister.
The US has been careful not to take actions or make statements that could unnecessarily escalate tensions between Washington and Moscow.
On Friday, the US canceled a test of the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) to avoid any misunderstanding by Russia.
Austin had already postponed the test in early March to avoid any action that could be misconstrued by Russia at such a sensitive time.
The United States has also generally maintained some discretion over the weapons and equipment it sends to Ukraine.
In the latest $300 million security aid package alone, the Department of Defense listed specific weapons and systems.
First Russian missile launch from a submarine 0:48
The United States has also opposed the transfer of fighter jets to Ukraine, concerned that the Kremlin could interpret such a move as US and NATO entry into the Ukraine conflict.
US officials kept quiet about this latest hypersonic test for two weeks for similar reasons, the defense official said, careful not to provoke the Kremlin or President Vladimir Putin, especially as Russian forces expanded their bombardment of Ukraine.
The US test is the second successful test of a HAWC missile, and is the first for the Lockheed Martin version.
Last September, the Air Force tested Raytheon's HAWC, powered by a Northrop Grumman scramjet engine.
The test met all major objectives, according to a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) press release, including missile integration and release, safe separation from launch aircraft, booster firing and cruise .
Officials also offered few details about the flight, without mentioning the speed of the missile or the distance it traveled.
The statement only stated that the missile traveled at speeds greater than Mach 5.
The US has placed a renewed emphasis on hypersonic weapons following successful Russian and Chinese trials in recent months, compounding concerns in Washington that the US is falling behind in a military technology seen as critical to the future.
North Korea says it has successfully tested a hypersonic missile
In the defense budget for fiscal year 2023, the Biden administration has requested $7.2 billion for long-range weapons, including hypersonic missiles.
In a report last year, the Government Accountability Office identified 70 efforts related to the development of hypersonic weapons, which are expected to cost nearly $15 billion between 2015 and 2024.
A month after the first successful test of the HAWC, the United States suffered a setback when the test of another hypersonic system failed.
The failure came just as China was reported to have successfully tested a hypersonic glide vehicle over the summer and shortly after Russia claimed to have successfully tested its submarine-launched hypersonic missile, dubbed Tsirkon.
hypersonic missile