No longer safe at the rear? How China's hypersonic weapons could hunt US aircraft

China has unveiled a new threat to US aircraft with its hypersonic glide vehicle technology. These missiles can carry missiles and travel at speeds capable of evading defense systems, potentially reaching US aircraft thousands of miles away. This capability is part of China's larger missile modernization plan, which aims to strike multiple targets simultaneously within an enemy's military infrastructure.

The Chinese DF-27 missile, with a range of about 5,000 miles, could potentially reach Hawaii or Guam. The hypersonic glide vehicles themselves are challenging to track and intercept due to their ability to maneuver through the atmosphere. While no other country is known to possess such a weapon, China's efforts to integrate HGVs with air-to-air missiles put US high-value aircraft at significant risk.

However, deploying a hypersonic missile to attack an aircraft miles away poses challenges. The missile would need precise targeting information, which could be disrupted, and a ballistic missile launch could be mistaken for a nuclear attack, leading to a dangerous escalation. Despite these challenges, China's rapid increase in missile production highlights its growing military capabilities, with estimates suggesting it possesses over 3,000 long-range ballistic missiles.

The US, too, is developing longer-range air-to-air missiles, including the AIM-174B and AIM-260, to counter such threats.