Trump Says Russia Stole America’s Hypersonic Missile Secrets. Here’s the Truth.

Last month, President Trump reiterated claims that Russia "stole the design" of U.S. hypersonic missile technology from the United States, allegedly due to "some bad person" during the Obama administration, he told Fox News's Sean Hannity during the first televised interview of his second Presidential term. Trump then claimed the U.S. would soon deploy its own superior hypersonic missiles.

This claim of hypersonic missile theft reiterates prior claims Trump made in 2020 and 2023. His national security advisor in 2019, John Bolton, also claimed that both Russia's hypersonic glide vehicles and cruise missiles are "largely stolen from U.S. technology."

But these claims are curious. For well over a decade, Russia and China have been the clear leaders in fielding hypersonic weapons. While today the Pentagon remains a few years behind schedule in debuting its first hypersonic weapon, Russia and China operationalized their first of several hypersonic weapons in the 2010s, and Iran launched its own hypersonic missiles against Israel last fall.

View in Browser  SHOP EXCLUSIVE SUBSCRIBE Trump Says Russia Stole America's Hypersonic Missile Secrets. Here's the Truth. Trump Says Russia Stole America's Hypersonic Missile Secrets. Here's the Truth. Last month, President Trump reiterated claims that Russia "stole the design" of U.S. hypersonic missile technology from the United States, allegedly due to "some bad person" during the Obama administration, he told Fox News's Sean Hannity during the first televised interview of his second Presidential term. Trump then claimed the U.S. would soon deploy its own superior hypersonic missiles. This claim of hypersonic missile theft reiterates prior claims Trump made in 2020 and 2023. His national security advisor in 2019, John Bolton, also claimed that both Russia's hypersonic glide vehicles and cruise missiles are "largely stolen from U.S. technology." But these claims are curious. For well over a decade, Russia and China have been the clear leaders in fielding hypersonic weapons. While today the Pentagon remains a few years behind schedule in debuting its first hypersonic weapon, Russia and China operationalized their first of several hypersonic weapons in the 2010s, and Iran launched its own hypersonic missiles against Israel last fall. Last month, President Trump reiterated claims that Russia "stole the design" of U.S. hypersonic missile technology from the United States, allegedly due to "some bad person" during the Obama administration, he told Fox News's Sean Hannity during the first televised interview of his second Presidential term. Trump then claimed the U.S. would soon deploy its own superior hypersonic missiles. This claim of hypersonic missile theft reiterates prior claims Trump made in 2020 and 2023. His national security advisor in 2019, John Bolton, also claimed that both Russia's hypersonic glide vehicles and cruise missiles are "largely stolen from U.S. technology." But these claims are curious. For well over a decade, Russia and China have been the clear leaders in fielding hypersonic weapons. While today the Pentagon remains a few years behind schedule in debuting its first hypersonic weapon, Russia and China operationalized their first of several hypersonic weapons in the 2010s, and Iran launched its own hypersonic missiles against Israel last fall. Read More Read More If Your Washer Fluid Isn't Made for Low Temps, You Probably Need to Add This You know freezing conditions can be dangerous. Here's how to be well-prepared if you need to take the car out when snow and ice coat the roads. Read More DeWalt's Highly Rated Drill Kit Is Nearly 50% Off on Amazon Right Now Along with those tools, you get two batteries, a charger, and a carrying case. Read More This Portable Jump Starter Preps You Against Winter Storms — and It's Now 50% Off Now's your chance to make sure you're prepared for a sticky situation for under $100. Read More Do You Lift Your Windshield Wipers Before a Storm? Here's Why You Should Stop. A few simple steps will protect your windshield wipers, gas line, and more. Read More This NASA Scientist Is Developing a Spacecraft for Interstellar Travel. Is It the Warp Drive We've Been Waiting For? A scientific discovery that could transform the study of warp drive is now under wraps at the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Read More Need Assistance? Contact Us. Follow Us Unsubscribe | Privacy Notice | CA Notice at Collection Popular Mechanics is a publication of Hearst Magazines. ©2025 Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This email was sent by Hearst Magazines, 300 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019-3779