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Second Flight Test of HGV Wu-14 confirmed

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August 19, 2014 4:40 pm

China recently conducted the second flight test of a new, ultra-high-speed missile that is part of what analysts say is Beijing’s global system of attack weapons capable of striking the United States with nuclear warheads.

The latest test of the new hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) known as Wu-14 took place Aug. 7 at a missile facility in western China, said U.S. government officials familiar with details of the test reported in internal channels.

hypersonic-2.jpg


Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Jeffrey Pool said when asked about the test: “We routinely monitor foreign defense activities, however we don’t comment on our intelligence or assessments of foreign weapons systems.”

He added that the Pentagon has encouraged China to adopt greater “transparency” for its defense programs “to avoid miscalculation.”

Pool confirmed the first test in January, but declined to provide a similar confirmation on the recent test. However, two other U.S. officials said the Aug. 7 test involved the Wu-14 HGV.

The first flight test of the Wu-14 took place Jan. 9 and flew at speeds of around Mach 10, or 10 times the speed of sound—around 7,680 miles per hour. Hypersonic speeds pose severe guidance and control challenges for weapons engineers and produce extreme stress to metal and components.

The Chinese hypersonic test is further evidence of what is viewed in intelligence circles as an emerging hypersonic arms race. In addition to China, the United States, Russia and India are building high-technology hypersonic strategic arms. The weapons are sought for their hard-to-counter features and ability to defeat strategic missile defenses.

Disclosure of the latest weapons test comes as Secretary of State John Kerry, in a speech last week, called for closer cooperation with China. Tensions between Washington and Beijing have increased over aggressive Chinese maritime claims in Asia.

“We are committed to avoiding the trap of strategic rivalry and intent on forging a relationship in which we broaden our cooperation on common interests and constructively manage our differences and disagreements,” Kerry said during a speech Aug. 13 in Hawaii.

In China, state-run press outlets made no mention of the Aug. 7 test, but Chinese Internet reports revealed a possible Wu-14 launch was carried out as the upper stage of a missile on Aug. 7 from the Jiuquan satellite launch facility located in the far western Gobi Desert.

Reports and photos posted online indicated that the booster rocket used in the test crash landed in China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

The booster crash is consistent with a hypersonic test, analysts said. Hypersonic glide vehicles travel in near space and thus the rocket that launched it may not have left the atmosphere, thus preventing it from burning up as would have occurred if it had reentered the atmosphere.

Photos posted on Chinese Internet sites and later removed showed debris from a booster that had Chinese characters painted on pieces indicating the rocket belonged to the China Aerospace Corp.—China’s main missile manufacturer.

The pro-Beijing Hong Kong newspaper Oriental Daily reported Aug. 11 that Chinese microbloggers identified the Inner Mongolia crash as a failed Wu-14 test, but the newspaper said the impact was most likely caused by debris from a falling rocket booster.

China military affairs analysts said the second test of the HGV relatively soon after the January test is a significant strategic threat and a sign China has placed a high priority on the new weapon.

“The decision to conduct a second Wu-14 test only a few months after its first test shows China’s commitment to fast-tracking this program,” said Lora Saalman, a specialist on China’s hypersonic development with the Carnegie Endowment.

“When compared with the yearly gaps in between its [anti-satellite] and [ballistic missile defense] tests in 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2014, the WU-14 accelerates China’s development timeline exponentially,” Saalman said in an email.

Rick Fisher, a senior fellow at the International Assessment and Strategy Center, said the second test portends two near-term threats.

“First would be a potential for early deployment of a maneuverable HGV warhead for theater-range and then intercontinental-range missiles,” Fisher said.

“Secondly, accelerated HGV testing could potentially allow China to develop a second generation anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) warhead that is more maneuverable and more difficult to counter.”

Saalman said China has produced thousands of papers and writings on hypersonics and boost-glide technology that “further support the idea that this is a priority” program.

In a report published in April for the U.S. Pacific Command’s think tank, Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies, Saalman stated the Wu-14 appears to be part of China’s efforts to build a counterpart to the U.S. Prompt Global Strike initiative.

Prompt Global Strike (PGS) is a U.S. military program to develop weapons—mainly missiles—that can strike targets at any location on earth within 30 minutes using conventional warheads. China fears the system will be used to knock out its nuclear missiles on the ground in the early stages of a conflict.

The U.S. PGS capability is being designed for use against terrorists or nuclear and other mass destruction weapons that are identified by intelligence agencies and must be attacked quickly before the targets flee or are moved.

Saalman said the Wu-14 represents “a potential leap in global reach, if mounted on an intercontinental ballistic missile” and potentially “a conventional or nuclear form of Chinese prompt global strike.”

The Chinese regard the Wu-14 as a “sword” strike weapons that likely will be combined with missile defenses—a “shield.”

The first test in January took China’s “regional weapons advances and thrust them onto the global stage,” she stated.

“This [January] test serves as a sign of China moving towards longer range, stronger retaliatory and potentially preemptive capability,” Saalman said, adding that the capability “could propel China from what has historically been a more reactive posture to a more active one.”

Fisher said for the United States, the options for responding to the new strategic weapon are stark. The Pentagon should accelerate investments in both deterrent and defensive capabilities, he said.

“The U.S. Navy should have a theater-range, HGV-ASBM to arm its [attack submarines],” Fisher said. “The Navy also requires funding for faster development of energy weapons to defend against China’s looming HGV threat.”

Mark Stokes, a specialist on China’s strategic weapons, said the test signals Beijing’s priority for building hypersonic weapons.

“I don’t think there’s any debate that the PLA is investing in the development of hypersonic technology, including scramjet engines and at least one hypersonic glide vehicle,” Stokes said in an email.

Stokes said it is possible the recent test was carried out atop a medium-range or intermediate-range ballistic missile.

According to Stokes, many of China’s missile engineering R&D tests and operational live-fire tests are carried out from Jiuquan, in Gansu province, where missiles are labeled “SC” for the Shuangchengzi missile range, another name for the missile test base. Other tests are conducted at the Taiyuan launch facility near Wuzhai, in Shanxi province further east, where developmental systems are labeled “Wu,” Stokes said.

China’s Jiuquan launch facility took part in the January 2010 missile defense test involving a CSS-X-11 medium-range ballistic missile used as a target for the SC-19 missile defense interceptor.

Earlier this year, U.S. intelligence agencies assessed the Wu-14 appears linked to China’s strategic nuclear weapons systems.

Lee Fuell, an analyst with the Air Force National Air and Space Intelligence Center, told a congressional hearing that the strike vehicle is “basically a ballistic missile-launched system that gets the payload fast and high, pitches over, dives to hypersonic speed, and then basically just glides to the target.”

“At this point, we think that’s associated with their nuclear deterrent forces,” Fuell told the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission on January 30. Fuell added: “Of great concern would be if they were to apply the same technology and capability with a conventional warhead or even just without a warhead because of the kinetic energy that it has.”

The Pentagon, for its part, has conducted work on several hypersonic weapons platforms. They include the X-37B Space Plane, the Lockheed Hypersonic Technology Vehicle-2, and the Air Force’s Force Application and Launch from Continental United States, known as FALCON. Boeing also has built an experimental hypersonic craft known as the X-51 WaveRider.

However, funding for U.S. hypersonic strike craft has been limited as a result of sharp Pentagon budget cuts under the Obama administration.

Russia’s military also has made developing hypersonic strike vehicles a priority. But Moscow is believed to be trailing both China and the United States in the capability.

China Secretly Conducts Second Flight Test Of New Ultra High-Speed Missile | Washington Free Beacon
 
global system of attack weapons philosophy

please note that only the p-5 members of unsc have operational slbm and particularly of intercontinental range

1. china, j l -2, range 12,000 - 14,000 kms (dev. since 1986
2. us, trident 2, range 7,840 - 11,300 kms (dev. since 1979
3. russia, bulava, range 10,000 kms ( dev.? deployed 2013
sineva, range 11,547 kms ( dev.? deployed 2007
4. uk, trident 2, range 7,840 - 11,300 kms (dev. since 1983
5. france, m51, range, 8,000 - 10,000 kms (dev. since 2006

Prompt Global Strike - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 
Mark Stokes, a specialist on China’s strategic weapons, said the test signals Beijing’s priority for building hypersonic weapons.

Well of course we are putting priority into HGV development. :cheers: Since that is the most logical thing to do.

Hopefully we will be able to mount these HGV warheads on submarine-based ballistic missiles, as well as the DF-21D carrier killer. To vastly extend the range, speed, maneuverability and accuracy of these platforms.

This way we will not even need to leave our own territorial waters, to sink enemy warships halfway across the planet.

global system of attack weapons philosophy

please note that only the p-5 members of unsc have operational slbm and particularly of intercontinental range

1. china, j l -2, range 12,000 - 14,000 kms (dev. since 1986
2. us, trident 2, range 7,840 - 11,300 kms (dev. since 1979
3. russia, bulava, range 10,000 kms ( dev.? deployed 2013
sineva, range 11,547 kms ( dev.? deployed 2007
4. uk, trident 2, range 7,840 - 11,300 kms (dev. since 1983
5. france, m51, range, 8,000 - 10,000 kms (dev. since 2006

Prompt Global Strike - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Russia is lucky, due to their geography they don't need much range on their SLBM's to hit most of the Earth's surface, especially when firing over the north pole, i.e. the arctic regions.

China has a more difficult geographic location, thus the need for longer ranged SLBM's. Though the "range" problem will be solved if we can get an HGV warhead onto the missiles, which will boost the range and survivability by a massive amount.
 
Well of course we are putting priority into HGV development. :cheers: Since that is the most logical thing to do.

Hopefully we will be able to mount these HGV warheads on submarine-based ballistic missiles, as well as the DF-21D carrier killer. To vastly extend the range, speed, maneuverability and accuracy of these platforms.

This way we will not even need to leave our own territorial waters, to sink enemy warships halfway across the planet.

Russia is lucky, due to their geography they don't need much range on their SLBM's to hit most of the Earth's surface, especially when firing over the north pole, i.e. the arctic regions.

China has a more difficult geographic location, thus the need for longer ranged SLBM's. Though the "range" problem will be solved if we can get an HGV warhead onto the missiles, which will boost the range and survivability by a massive amount.

yes, right, china's locational disadvantage forced it to develop the longest range of all the existing intercontinental slbms. 14,000kms the longest
because i think china is an old player in the field of intercontinental strike capability. due to lack of information, many don't know post ww2 china's military might, though now many are learning because of internet making information available. in many asymmetrical fields china outperforms all

a rare old / vintage footage of china's intercontinental slbm tests


hgv is a revolution in the global system of attack weapons concept, its going to define future prompt global strike warfare, it means everything when you can precisely strike anything anywhere within minutes, enemy taken out in the blink of an eye will be the final destination of the hypersonic wu-14. already two successful tests done, i guess, a few more tests and this thing is gonna be operational very very soon. this game changer will change everything. very interesting these days are.
 
yes, right, china's locational disadvantage forced it to develop the longest range of all the existing intercontinental slbms. 14,000kms the longest
because i think china is an old player in the field of intercontinental strike capability. due to lack of information, many don't know post ww2 china's military might, though now many are learning because of internet making information available. in many asymmetrical fields china outperforms all

a rare old / vintage footage of china's intercontinental slbm tests


hgv is a revolution in the global system of attack weapons concept, its going to define future prompt global strike warfare, it means everything when you can precisely strike anything anywhere within minutes, enemy taken out in the blink of an eye will be the final destination of the hypersonic wu-14. already two successful tests done, i guess, a few more tests and this thing is gonna be operational very very soon. this game changer will change everything. very interesting these days are.

I personally think conventionally it's more important, think of it's uses.

As we expand or a nation expands, they have overseas interests, a lot of the time there might be unrest or other factors, within 30 minutes a nation can strike anywhere.

For example ISIS, this weapon can instantly wipe out an entire offensive and thus buy time for the people threatened to either evacuate or for them to prepare and mount an offensive or a defensive operation. .

Not sure why the US didn't go for this, maybe I'm misunderstanding or it's not ready, or it's not urgent, or it's too expensive.
 
hgv is a revolution in the global system of attack weapons concept, its going to define future prompt global strike warfare, it means everything when you can precisely strike anything anywhere within minutes, enemy taken out in the blink of an eye will be the final destination of the hypersonic wu-14. already two successful tests done, i guess, a few more tests and this thing is gonna be operational very very soon. this game changer will change everything. very interesting these days are.

The theoretical maximum speed of a scramjet is around Mach 24 I think, we can definitely increase the speed of our HGV by large amounts as we refine the design over the years.

That kind of speed will give almost no time for warning, and almost zero chance of interception. Even for targets on the other side of the planet.

Especially since HGV platforms are also highly maneuverable during mid-flight, which exponentially increases the difficulty of intercepting it. Maneuvering mid-flight is easy, countering it is extremely difficult, especially at such incredible speeds.

See how hard it is for the Israeli Iron Dome to intercept even home-made unguided rockets, on a straight and predictable trajectory, made out of spare parts and trash they find on the ground, costing less than $100 per rocket. Whereas an Iron Dome missile battery costs around $50 million, and around $20,000 per interception.

For example ISIS, this weapon can instantly wipe out an entire offensive and thus buy time for the people threatened to either evacuate or for them to prepare and mount an offensive or a defensive operation. .

Not sure why the US didn't go for this, maybe I'm misunderstanding or it's not ready, or it's not urgent, or it's too expensive.

Too expensive, even a single American tomahawk cruise missile costs around $1.5 million per unit

ISIS is not worth that kind of money, they fight cheap. The best thing against them are cheap shell ammunition that can be fired out of large cannons on warships. The cost of shell ammunition is negligible, and the destructive power is about the same, with a higher sustained firing rate and excellent accuracy over long ranges.

Same debate with conventional artillery vs. cruise missiles. Blanketing Taiwan with artillery shells for example will be very cheap, whereas using jet fighters to air bomb them will be more expensive, and cruise missiles will be the most expensive of all. And HGV is something that would only be used against the most important targets, like an enemy aircraft carrier or capital ship.
 
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The theoretical maximum speed of a scramjet is around Mach 24 I think, we can definitely increase the speed of our HGV by large amounts as we refine the design over the years.

That kind of speed will give almost no time for warning, and almost zero chance of interception. Even for targets on the other side of the planet.

Spy satellites have infrared sensors, flying Mach 24 emits very high temperature thus can be detected early. Intercepting a hyper speed vehicle is ofcourse extremely difficult especially if is maneuverable.
 
Spy satellites have infrared sensors, flying Mach 24 emits very high temperature thus can be detected early. Intercepting a hyper speed vehicle is ofcourse extremely difficult especially if is maneuverable.

Yeah we can just program the HGV to maneuver more during mid-flight, that will make it exponentially more difficult to intercept it.

Plus, at Mach 24 it will only take minutes to hit the target, depending on the distance. How long will it take for them to detect it (especially if launched by a submarine), calculate the trajectory (re-calculating each time it maneuvers) and send an interceptor to shoot it down (which will have to be done every time it maneuvers as well). Especially at that kind of speed.

Currently there is no defensive system on Earth that can reliably defeat such a weapon.

HGV is incredibly fast, highly accurate, and extremely maneuverable. It really is a key technology for us, especially if we can put it on a DF-21D, that would be the ultimate anti-ship weapon.
 
The theoretical maximum speed of a scramjet is around Mach 24 I think, we can definitely increase the speed of our HGV by large amounts as we refine the design over the years.

That kind of speed will give almost no time for warning, and almost zero chance of interception. Even for targets on the other side of the planet.

Especially since HGV platforms are also highly maneuverable during mid-flight, which exponentially increases the difficulty of intercepting it. Maneuvering mid-flight is easy, countering it is extremely difficult, especially at such incredible speeds.

See how hard it is for the Israeli Iron Dome to intercept even home-made unguided rockets, on a straight and predictable trajectory, made out of spare parts and trash they find on the ground, costing less than $100 per rocket. Whereas an Iron Dome missile battery costs around $50 million, and around $20,000 per interception.

Too expensive, even a single American tomahawk cruise missile costs around $1.5 million per unit

ISIS is not worth that kind of money, they fight cheap. The best thing against them are cheap shell ammunition that can be fired out of large cannons on warships. The cost of shell ammunition is negligible, and the destructive power is about the same, with a higher firing rate and excellent accuracy over long ranges.

Same debate with conventional artillery vs. cruise missiles. Blanketing Taiwan with artillery shells for example will be very cheap, whereas using jet fighters to air bomb them will be more expensive, and cruise missiles will be the most expensive of all. And HGV is something that would only be used against the most important targets, like an enemy aircraft carrier or capital ship.

more tests of any platform mean sustained improvement, i am sure, the second flight test was an improvement of the first one and thus the next ones will mean more and more betterment, iam trying to explore the conceptual framework. i believe these are the types of weapon systems that revolutionize the concept and art of warfare.
for example, the use of gun powder actually revolutionized warfare replacing bows with small metal projectiles to hit target from a distance with in a more lethal manner,

so i guess, with this hgv, may other platforms will become obsolete or lose their relevancy, for example, the more this weapon gets maneuverable during its hypersonic run, long range bombers or even today's supersonic ballistic missiles will be overshadowed by weapon like hypersonic wu-14.

these are state of the art weapon systems, these are strategic masterpieces. i don't think such weapons are meant for some militancy, these weapons are like something that defines a country's global status in terms of hard power. i think developing such weapons mean rendering geopolitical dynamics. usa is spending billions to develop such platform for a reason, of course. and i guess, there is already a secret race between usa and china regarding the question of who gets to deploy it first.

given the most secretive nature of chinese military, even whatever little comes out surprises the world, can anyone imagine what might have been under the sleeve, still not exposed?
 
Yeah we can just program the HGV to maneuver more during mid-flight, that will make it exponentially more difficult to intercept it.

Plus, at Mach 24 it will only take minutes to hit the target, depending on the distance. How long will it take for them to detect it (especially if launched by a submarine), calculate the trajectory (re-calculating each time it maneuvers) and send an interceptor to shoot it down (which will have to be done every time it maneuvers as well). Especially at that kind of speed.

Currently there is no defensive system on Earth that can reliably defeat such a weapon.

HGV is incredibly fast, highly accurate, and extremely maneuverable. It really is a key technology for us, especially if we can put it on a DF-21D, that would be the ultimate anti-ship weapon.

The question is how long will it take before reaching Mach 20+ and whether it can be launched from a sub. It would be interesting to know just how early these satellites can detect it. There's enough time for warning but whether the enemy has enough time to respond is a different matter.
 
The question is how long will it take before reaching Mach 20+ and whether it can be launched from a sub. It would be interesting to know just how early these satellites can detect it. There's enough time for warning but whether the enemy has enough time to respond is a different matter.

It can definitely be launched from a submarine, all the HGV needs is some kind of "booster" that can get it up to hypersonic speed before it can trigger its engine.

China right now is using ballistic missiles as a booster, so it shouldn't be a problem to use a submarine launched ballistic missile as a booster either.

Though maybe unnecessary at this point, since HGV is already nearly impossible to intercept using current technology, even if the launch location is known. And the flight trajectory is too low and flat to be targeted by any exo-atmospheric kill vehicles either.

Anyway, once our HGV technology is at a good level, it shouldn't be difficult to launch it via different methods, and submarines would be the ideal platform.
 
STAR WARS: China beats US to testing 9,127mph HYPERSONIC missile carrier

THE United States has been beaten in a hypersonic arms race after China successfully tested a 'spaceship' that can carry weapons across the world 10 times faster than the speed of sound.


By Tom Rawle / Published 14th January 2014
68219.jpg
GLIDER: The vehicles are designed to carry missiles and monitor military activity from space [IG]

The unmanned aircraft can therefore leave the Chinese capital Beijing and be hanging over Washington D.C in less than 45 minutes - raising worries in the White House.

With an advanced radar system that can target locations from the edge of space, this ultra-fast vehicle can manouvre itself anywhere around the globe.

The futuristic carrier, which can fly almost 20 times as fast as a jumbo jet, can hold ballistic missiles with hypersonic cruise missiles and smaller surveillance drones expected to be on board.

This latest design in foreign weapon intelligence comes as China refuses to take up arms talks with its economic rivals.

A Pentagon official confirmed a WU-14 hypersonic glide vehicle broke record speeds over China on January 9 but refused to give details.

Former US Air Force officer Mark Stokes believes the vehicles are likely to be used in a space race defence.

He told US newspaper Washington Free Beacon: "A boost glide missile theoretically would be intended to counter existing mid-course missile defenses."

Stokes believes that hypersonic glide vehicles (HGV) could reach Mach 12 speeds of up to 9,127 miles per hour which could break through any US missile defence.

68218.jpg
MACH20: Some hypersonic fliers can get to speeds of up to 12,000mph [DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY]

“The beauty of the HGV is that it can perform hypersonic precision strikes while maintaining a relatively low altitude and flat trajectory”

Mark Stokes, former US Air Force officer
Rick Fisher, an analyst at the International Assessment and Strategy Center said: “The beauty of the HGV is that it can perform hypersonic precision strikes while maintaining a relatively low altitude and flat trajectory, making it far less vulnerable to missile defenses."

Fisher added: “They [the Chinese government] are actively seeking global military power to challenge the United States, and it is not yet in any mood to talk, or engage in arms control, about it,”

Tensions have increased in the past two years with China, the US and Russia striving for more bigger, better defence technology.

The US discovered last year that China were building the hypersonic weapons, which according to the Chinese "pose a threat".

But the Western superpower have been creating missile aircrafts of their own of similar speeds.

Developers in the US are in the process of perfecting the Lockheed HTV-2, that can also travel at speeds of up to Mach 20, or 13,000 miles per hour.

Russia have also taken to creating new potentially dangerous equipment.

Defence experts in Moscow are working on the latest model of the RS-26 Rubezh.

Russian deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin said in June last year: “Neither current nor future American missile defense systems will be able to prevent that missile from hitting a target dead on.

"We are experiencing a revolution in military science."

STAR WARS: China beat US to testing 9,127mph HYPERSONIC missile carrier | Latest News | Latest Breaking News | Daily Star
 
China Tests Missile Defense-Busting WU-14 Hypersonic Glide Vehicle - Investors.com

National Security:
Beijing is moving fast on a maneuverable, hypersonic glide vehicle designed to evade America's defenses, including the Aegis ballistic missile system guarding our carrier battle groups.

On Aug. 7, China conducted a second test of its hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV), known as the WU-14, yet another example of its relentless pursuit of high-tech weaponry as the United States abandons what the administration dismisses as Cold War weaponry.

The first test, conducted in January, saw China's HGV reach speeds in the vicinity of Mach 10, about 10 times the speed of sound. In the latest test, according to Internet reports, the WU-14 was the upper stage of a missile launched from the Jiuquan satellite launch facility in China's western Gobi desert.

Strategic experts say that the importance of this weapons program cannot be understated. The Washington Free Beacon quotes Rick Fisher, senior fellow at the International Assessment and Strategy Center, as saying:

"Accelerated HGV testing could potentially allow China to develop a second-generation antiship ballistic missile (ASBM) warhead that is more maneuverable and more difficult to counter."

As we noted after the January test, development of the WU-14 comes on the heels of China's deployment of a "carrier-killer," the DF-21D, a road-mobile ASBM. This land-based missile is designed to track and target our carrier battle groups in the western Pacific with the help of satellites and unmanned aerial vehicles similar to our drones, as well as over-the-horizon radar.

While the DF-21D is a traditional ballistic missile, the WU-14 operates in near-space and functions more like a plane, albeit on steroids. "The beauty of the HGV," Fisher told the Free Beacon, "is that it can perform hypersonic precision strikes while maintaining a relatively low altitude and flat trajectory, making it far less vulnerable to missile defenses."

China seems to be in a hurry. "The decision to conduct a second WU-14 test only a few months after its first test shows China's commitment to fast-tracking this program," said Lora Saalman, specialist on Beijing's HGV development at the Carnegie Foundation.

"China's test of a hypersonic glide vehicle proves that America's reticence about China's high-tech military developments diminishes American security by detracting from a needed political debate about real American defense requirements," Fisher has warned. "We are in effect disarming ourselves."

Certainly administration budget cuts and the effects of sequestration have done little to enhance America's military capabilities. In contrast, the New York Times reports, China in March announced a 12.2% rise in this year's military budget over 2013, which itself was 10.3% over the year before that.

These are the actions of an ascending power intent on challenging the U.S., first in the western Pacific and then globally. It is building a blue-water navy complete with its own carrier battle groups.

Last fall, the Chinese newspaper Global Times boasted, "The 12 JL-2 nuclear warheads carried by one Type 094 SSBN (ship, submersible, ballistic, nuclear — i.e., a ballistic missile-carrying nuclear submarine) can kill and wound 5 to 12 million Americans." This announcement came complete with target maps.

As we've also noted, China recently unveiled a new road-mobile intercontinental ballistic missile, the DF-41, that can deliver 10 nuclear warheads to any target in the U.S. We have moved in the opposite direction, recently deactivating an entire ICBM missile squadron.
 
China seems to be in a hurry. "The decision to conduct a second WU-14 test only a few months after its first test shows China's commitment to fast-tracking this program," said Lora Saalman, specialist on Beijing's HGV development at the Carnegie Foundation.

"China's test of a hypersonic glide vehicle proves that America's reticence about China's high-tech military developments diminishes American security by detracting from a needed political debate about real American defense requirements," Fisher has warned. "We are in effect disarming ourselves."

Excellent decision to prioritize and fast-track our HGV development. :smitten:

We need nuclear submarines armed with DF-21D carrier killer ballistic missiles with HGV warheads in large numbers, this is the kind of strength we need in order to ensure our peaceful rise.

Nobody will even think of blockading us if they know we can sink their most expensive warships from halfway across the world. With a swarm of nearly unstoppable and highly maneuverable HGV warheads.
 
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