China secretly tested a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile, the London-based Financial Times reported. The report said that the missile, which adds a new capability to the Chinese arsenal, “flew through low-orbit space” and may be able to “negate” the U.S. missile defense systems.
“China tested a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile in August that circled the globe before speeding towards its target, demonstrating an advanced space capability that caught U.S. intelligence by surprise,” the newspaper added.
Other U.S. adversaries, Russia, China, and North Korea, are also working on hypersonic missiles systems. Under President Donald Trump’s watch, the U.S. reportedly developed hypersonic missile-related technology to counter the threat.
Reuters reported the Chinese missile test citing the Financial Times article:
China tested a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile in August, showing a capability that caught U.S. intelligence by surprise, the Financial Times reported, citing five unnamed sources.The report late on Saturday said the Chinese military launched a rocket carrying a hypersonic glide vehicle that flew through low-orbit space, circling the globe before cruising towards its target, which it missed by about two dozen miles.”The test showed that China had made astounding progress on hypersonic weapons and was far more advanced than US officials realised,” the report said, citing people briefed on the intelligence.China’s ministry of defence did not immediately respond to a faxed request for comment from Reuters on Sunday.
Hypersonic missiles are faster, more maneuverable, and harder to detect compared to conventional missile systems. “Hypersonic missiles are much faster and more agile than normal ones, meaning they are more difficult to intercept,” the BBC explained. “They can fly at more than five times the speed of sound and, much like ballistic missiles, can deliver a nuclear warhead,” the broadcaster added.
While the Chinese official denied testing a hypersonic missile, the Chinese state-media taunted the U.S. as it bragged about Beijing’s growing cutting-edge military capabilities. The “U.S. should stop eyeing too much on China’s hypersonic missiles and broaden its horizons,” the Communist Party-run Global Times declared on Sunday.
The missile test comes as China’s People Liberation Army (PLA) is busy intimidating its Asian neighbors. Last week, China held tank drills on its southwestern border with India. Earlier this month, more than a hundred Chinese warplanes, including nuclear-capable bombers, breached Taiwan’s air defense zone.
Besides China, other rogue regimes are also joining the race to acquire hypersonic missile technology. In recent months, Russia and North Korea have also tested their versions of hypersonic weapons. Last month, North Korea said that it had successfully launched a hypersonic missile. In July, Russia reportedly test-fired a similar missile from a submarine.
Former President Donald Trump repeatedly stressed the need to develop a hypersonic missile to match Beijing’s capabilities. The mainstream media, complacent about the Chinese threat, mocked the president for mispronouncing the missile as “hydrosonic” and describing it as “super duper” fast.
The New York Times even dismissed the technology as a hoax. “Hypersonic Superweapons Are a Mirage, New Analysis Says,” the newspaper reported in January.
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