According to the Financial Times, China has tested a new space capability using a hypersonic missile. According to the article, Beijing launched a nuclear-capable missile in August that circled the Earth in low orbit before falling toward its target, which three sources said it missed by more than 20 miles (32 kilometers).
According to FT sources, the hypersonic glide vehicle was launched by a Long March rocket, which normally announces its launches, albeit the August test was kept under wraps. In addition, the report also stated that the progress of China on hypersonic weapons has “caught US intelligence by surprise.”
Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby declined to comment on the report’s specifics but added that “We have made clear our concerns about the military capabilities China continues to pursue, capabilities that only increase tensions in the region and beyond. That is one reason why we hold China as our number one pacing challenge.”
Hypersonic technology is being developed by China, the United States, Russia, and at least five other countries.
Hypersonic missiles, like ordinary ballistic missiles, can deliver nuclear warheads, and they can travel at speeds exceeding five times that of sound. Ballistic missiles, on the other hand, fly high into space in an arc to reach their objective, whereas hypersonic missiles glide low in the atmosphere, potentially reaching a target faster.
