Intelligence officials have issued a warning about China’s significant progress in developing hypersonic missiles that are virtually impossible to intercept.
According to sources, the DF-17 and its successor, the DF-27, are capable of reaching speeds of approximately 6,500 miles per hour, making them extremely difficult to intercept.
China has developed weapons capable of targeting and neutralizing aircraft carriers, including Britain’s HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales, with a striking range of up to 5,000 miles.
The UK, Australia, and the United States, members of the AUKUS alliance, are actively seeking preventive measures.
The Chinese ‘Hypersonic Glide Vehicles’ have a lower trajectory compared to intercontinental ballistic missiles, which makes them more difficult to intercept.
According to a concerned official, there is a growing emphasis on speed being a crucial factor in modern warfare.
China Leads in Hypersonic Glide Vehicles
China has placed a strong emphasis on developing this capability and has successfully built the most advanced collection of HGVs in the world.
‘Significant progress has been achieved in this field during the 2020s.’ Addressing this challenge is a top concern for AUKUS.
‘Countering the delivery mechanism, which launches the missile, proves to be a more effective strategy than countering the missile directly.’ We would need to focus on the bases and launch systems.
Britain currently lacks hypersonic missiles, while the US is currently in the testing phase for these advanced weapons.
During the conflict in Ukraine, Russia has been using less advanced versions of the Chinese HGVs.
China possesses missiles with the capability to transport nuclear warheads. There is a strong possibility that Beijing would deploy its HGVs to target the navies of the US and UK in the South China Sea.