China Joins Race for New Missiles, Competes Against US and Russia

China is said to have tested a nuclear-capable hypersonic glide vehicle as part of an escalating competition for the Next-Gen of long-range weaponry.
Editorial Staff
China Joins Race for New Missiles, Competes Against US and Russia
In August, China allegedly conducted a near-orbital test of a nuclear-capable hypersonic glide vehicle, intensifying the race for the next generation of long-range weapons that are tougher to detect and intercept. In recent months, the US and Russia have undertaken hypersonic weapon tests, and North Korea announced last month that it had successfully launched a newly designed hypersonic missile. Functioning of the Missile In the upper atmosphere, hypersonic missiles move at more than five times the speed of sound, or roughly 6,200 kilometres per hour (3,850 mph). A hypersonic glide vehicle is slower than an intercontinental ballistic missile, but its form allows it to move toward a target or away from defences. A fractional orbital bombardment system (FOBS) combines a glide vehicle with a missile that may send it partially into orbit, robbing enemies of response time and standard defence systems. Nuclear weapons are carried on ballistic trajectories that fly into space but never reach orbi…