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This summer, China allegedly launched two rockets that left American military and intelligence officials “stunned.” What kind of launch would surprise and concern the US? Reports of a hypersonic missile weapons test.
According to the Financial Times, who broke the story, anonymous sources familiar with US intelligence assessments said the Chinese military launched a “Fractional Orbital Bombardment System” using a “hypersonic glide vehicle” around the Earth for the first time on July 27, before missing a target by about 40 kilometers (24 miles). This was followed by another similar test on August 13.
Both of these tests baffled the US, which currently doesn't have the capacity to defend against hypersonic weapons, with one source telling the newspaper: “We have no idea how they did this.” Another remarked that it appeared "to defy the laws of physics." Beijing dismissed the rumor of a weapons test as “Western hype,” claiming it was a “routine experiment to test reusable spacecraft” and not a missile.
Whatever the true nature of this summer’s test flights, you’ll be sure to hear a lot more about hypersonic weapons in the near future.
what are hypersonic Missiles?
In sum, hypersonic weapons are both extremely fast and much more agile than conventional missiles. They are generally described as missiles launched by a rocket into Earth’s upper atmosphere at speeds of Mach 5 and above, at least five times the speed of sound or 6,174 kilometers (3,836 miles) per hour, before maneuvering towards a target.
That’s fast, but speed is not the defining factor that sets this new generation of hypersonic weapons; a select few countries already have intercontinental ballistic missiles that travel vast distances at a significantly faster speed. However, these are ballistic missiles, meaning they are on an arching trajectory that can not change after launch, a bit like a dart being thrown. This makes them very predictable and easy to intercept.
Conversely, hypersonic weapons are capable of traveling at these immense speeds, yet can also be re-orientating and guided as they approach their target, like a cruise missile. A "hypersonic gliding vehicle" is effectively a hypersonic plane loaded with a warhead that skips along the upper atmosphere, capable of being steered and maneuvered towards a target. This comes with some pretty clear advantages: the missile can fly in from an unpredictable direction and there is currently no effective means of intercepting them. In the words of the Chinese state-owned newspaper Global Times: “hypersonic weapons mean the invalidation of the US anti-missile network.”
In theory, they could also be armed with a nuclear warhead, further raising their potential threat.
Who Has hypersonic weapons?
Much of the recent buzz has been around China developing hypersonic weapon technology, but they are not the only military power to be doing so. The US has been developing such technology since at least the early 2000s. According to a recent report by the US Independent Congressional Research Service, the US, Russia, and China possess the most advanced hypersonic weapons programs, although the Financial Times article suggests that China has now taken the lead.
A number of other countries, including Australia, India, France, Germany, and Japan, are also developing hypersonic weapons technology. North Korea reportedly test-fired a newly developed hypersonic missile just last month.
When asked about the recent media reports on China’s hypersonic weapon test, President Joe Biden said he was concerned, but said little more. The US has, however, also been busy testing its own hypersonic weapons. Just days after news of China's tests broke, the US Navy and Army carried out a number of tests on component prototypes that will be used to develop offensive long-range hypersonic weapons. Russia has also been upping the ante recently. In 2019, Russia announced their Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle program had been put into service. Earlier this month, it further flaunted its power by test-firing a hypersonic cruise missile from a nuclear submarine for the first time.
While hypersonic weapons have been around for some time, the new crop of hypersonic glide vehicles is set to become the key next generation of advanced weapons, and some have even called the recent push to develop this technology a new “arms race.” Some experts have refuted this sensational claim, although many have admitted that the US is certainly going to have to push forward with its missile defense and, perhaps, rehtinks its nuclear strategies in light of this news.
