U.S. Air Force says it conducted hypersonic weapon test in Pacific

• Meanwhile, North Korean state media claimed Wednesday morning local time that Kim Jong-un's military had made progress in its development of a hypersonic missile that's designed to have enough range to strike Guam. Three U.S. military bases are located on the island.

Driving the news: A B-52 bomber left Guam on Sunday, carrying an Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW), an Air Force spokesperson said in an emailed statement Tuesday evening.

• "This test launched a full prototype operational hypersonic missile and focused on the ARRW's end-to-end performance," per the statement.
• "The Air Force gained valuable insights into the capabilities of this new, cutting-edge technology," the spokesperson added.
• "While we won't discuss specific test objectives, this test acquired valuable, unique data and was intended to further a range of hypersonic programs. We also validated and improved our test and evaluation capabilities for continued development of advanced hypersonic systems."

The intrigue: The Air Force didn't reveal how fast the weapon was traveling, but Reuters notes in "past tests the ARRW has flown at least five times the speed of sound."

Go deeper: What to know about hypersonic missiles Russia is using in Ukraine