Just what we need , another arms race . China ’s stepping up its bidding for ballistic projectile superiority , having just successfully run - fired the country ’s first hypersonic missile deliverance vehicle , one open of penetrating American air defenses to potentially save atomic warheads . The Pentagon is not amuse .
The WU-14 hypersonic soaring fomite ( HGV ) is part of China ’s extremely secretive missile ontogeny program , which has been quietly develop the country ’s conventional and atomic projectile systems . The missile test itself was not broadcast among any public line but was observe , an anon. Pentagon officialconfirmed with the Washington Free Beacon , flying at extremely high speeds over mainland China on January 9 . And while item of the HGV are very slender at this point , analysts believe it works much like the HGV ’s developed by other nations admit the US , India and Russia .
It ’s take on that the HGV is launched aboard an ICBM , separates from the missile ’s final stage while still in space , some 62 mi above the planet ’s surface , and then surge back into the atmosphere at more than ten time the speed of audio — around mach 10 or 7,680 naut mi per hour . That ’s fast enough to go into American airspace before we even oppose . By comparison , today ’s cruise missile technology tops out at around 500 to 600 miles per hour .
This prospect does not sit well with many members of Congress , include Republican House Armed Services Committee members Rep. Howard P. “ Buck ” McKeon , Rep. Randy Forbes and Rep. Mike Rogers . The three cut a joint statement last Tuesday call for a redoubling of American efforts to sustain pace with the charge per unit of Taiwanese military development .
“ While round after daily round of defense track have knock America ’s technological advantage on its back , the Chinese and other challenger nations campaign towards military parity with the United States ; in some cases , as in this one , they come out to be jump ahead of us,”the statement read . “ This situation does nothing to support peaceable coexistence in the Pacific . We have dithered for three 10 now , delaying badly needed refilling equipment for our troops , relying on hardware that was built during the Reagan years . ”
Lt . Col . Jeffrey Pool , a Marine Corps spokesman who substantiate that the test took position , was definitely non - plussed however . He told the Washington Free Beacon :
We routinely supervise foreign defense activities and we are mindful of this psychometric test . However , we do n’t point out on our intelligence or assessments of foreign arm system . We encourage neat transparency regarding their defence investiture and object glass to avoid miscalculation .
You know , miscalculations like a worldwide thermonuclear holocaust . [ Washington Times – Defense Tech – RT – Washington Free Beacon – double : Ap Images ]
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