China Used a Hypersonic Missile To Show its Strength: Report

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.

According to the article, China’s development on hypersonic weapons “surprised US intelligence.”

Hypersonic technology is being developed by China, the United States, Russia, and at least five other countries.

Hypersonic missiles, like regular ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear bombs, may 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 travel low in the atmosphere, potentially reaching a target faster.

A hypersonic missile, unlike a much slower, frequently subsonic cruise missile, is agile, making it more difficult to detect and defend against.

While countries such as the United States have developed technologies to counter cruise and ballistic missiles, the capacity to track and destroy a hypersonic missile remains unknown.

According to a recent assessment by the US Congressional Research Service, China has been vigorously developing the technology, considering it as critical to protect against US advancements in hypersonic and other technologies (CRS).

The alleged test comes as tensions between the United States and China have risen, with Beijing increasing military operations near Taiwan, a self-governing US-aligned democracy that Beijing regards as a province awaiting reunification.