China’s hypersonic missile in orbit might ‘neutralize US defenses.’
0BY HELENA SUTAN ON OCTOBER 24, 2021
China’s hypersonic missile in orbit might ‘neutralize US defenses.’
China’s launch of a hypersonic missile into orbit, capable of carrying a nuclear warhead and obfuscating the US missile defense system, has sparked fears that the Western superpower is being neutralized by its foes.
During a test two months ago, the Chinese military launched a missile into low-orbit space and around the globe before gliding down to its target, according to the Financial Times.
Although the weapon missed its target by approximately two dozen miles, the technique might be utilized to send nuclear warheads over the South Pole, circumventing American missile defense systems, according to the report.
A hypersonic glide vehicle armed with a nuclear payload, according to Taylor Fravel, a specialist on Chinese nuclear weapons policy, may allow China “negate” US missile defense systems.
The Chinese reacted angrily to the newspaper’s report. The launch was characterized by Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhao Lijian as a “normal test of a space vehicle to check technology for spacecraft reusability.”
“China will collaborate with other countries across the world to promote the peaceful use of space for the benefit of humanity,” Mr Zhao said at a Monday news conference.
The test, however, was termed by Li Nan, a Chinese security and military researcher at the National University of Singapore, as “a game-changer” by Bloomberg.
“If China is successful in deploying one, it will effectively neutralize US missile defense,” Dr Li said.
The Financial Times quotes a source acquainted with the launch as saying, “We have no idea how they did this.”
As the world’s largest economy looks to block Chinese growth in the South China Sea and protect Taiwan from invasion, the missile test suggests that Chinese President Xi Jinping may be considering the prospect of orbital strikes as a means of combating perceived American aggression.
After spending roughly $163 billion in the preceding two decades, the US Military Defense Agency plans to spend $45 billion between 2020 and 2024.
Despite rising costs and delays, US President Joe Biden has pressed ahead with plans to build a new anti-missile warhead and extend defense systems in Alaska and Europe.
The Pentagon said no. “Brinkwire News Summary.”
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