As the United States suffers through military spending cut back after cut back, our foes increase their’s and now have developed a new ultra-high speed missile system which is designed specifically to evade U.S. defense systems.
Last week, China’s military launched the first test flight of the vehicle intended to deliver warheads that could get through U.S. missile defense systems. According to unnamed Pentagon officials the test of the new hypersonic glide vehicle, also known as the WU-14, was carried out on January 9 and marks a major advancement in China’s secret missile programs, according to reports from The Washington Free Beacon.
The Pentagon has confirmed the test, but declined to give further details. “We routinely monitor foreign defense activities and we are aware of this test,” Marine Corps Lt. Col. Jeffrey Pool told the Free Beacon. “However, we don’t comment on our intelligence or assessments of foreign weapon systems. we encourage greater transparency (by China) regarding their defense investments and objectives to avoid miscalculation,” he added.
Hypersonic weapons use cutting edge technology and could mark an advantage for China to compensate for its overall weaker military and challenge the current capabilities of U.S. missile defenses marking a major step forward in China’s secretive strategic nuclear and conventional military and missile programs. The craft appears to be designed to be launched atop one of China’s intercontinental ballistic missiles and then glides and maneuvers at speeds of up to 10 times the speed of sound from near space en route to its target.
The United States does have its own hypersonic program and Russia recently admitted that it too, was developing hypersonic weapons. Experts predict it will be the next chapter in the international arms race, akin to the development in the 1950s of atomic weapons.
The ‘Star Wars’ era is upon us; I hope we’re ready.