China tests new hypersonic missile that can bypass U.S. air defenses

China has flight-tested a hypersonic missile delivery vehicle in a move that was scientific in nature and not targeted at any country, the Defense Ministry said on Monday. A Chinese military build-up has raised regional jitters. Many countries in Asia have welcomed a stated U.S. intention to shift more attention and military assets back to the region. They are beefing up military spending and ties with Washington.

Just what we need, another arms race. China’s stepping up its bid for ballistic missile superiority, having just successfully test-fired the country’s first hypersonic missile delivery vehicle, one capable of penetrating American air defenses to potentially deliver nuclear warheads. The Pentagon is not amused. The WU-14 hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) is part of China’s extremely secretive missile development program, which has been quietly modernizing the country’s conventional and nuclear missile systems.