The U.S. Air Force announced this week that it tested a hypersonic missile over the Pacific Ocean.

The military reportedly conducted the weapons test on Sunday via a B-52H Stratofortress taking off from a base in Guam.

“This test launched a full prototype operational hypersonic missile and focused on the ARRW’s end-to-end performance,” an Air Force spokesperson said in a statement, according to Axios. “The Air Force gained valuable insights into the capabilities of this new, cutting-edge technology.”

Cars drive by Andersen Air Force base in Yigo, Guam. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

The announcement comes amid an international scramble for hypersonic weapons – China, Russia and North Korea have all claimed to make advances in developing the technology.

On Tuesday, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reportedly guided his military on a ground jet test of the multi-stage solid-fuel engine for its new-type intermediate-range hypersonic missile at the North’s rocket launch facility, the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground, the official Korean Central News Agency reported.

The more powerful, agile missile is designed to strike faraway U.S. targets in the region, specifically the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam, home to U.S. military bases.

In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un watches what it says a test of a solid-fuel engine for its new-type intermediate-range hypersonic missile at the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground in North Korea. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

Kim cited the strategic value of the new missile, which he claimed was capable of targeting the U.S. mainland, and said that “enemies know better about it.” He also applauded “the great success in the important test.”

Fox News Digital’s Lawrence Richard contributed to this report.