China Hypersonic Test a “Sputnik Moment”

General Mark Milley, the nation’s top military officer, called China’s suspected test of a hypersonic weapons system “very concerning” and almost like a “Sputnik moment,” amid increasing tension between the U.S. and China. Beijing is believed to have tested the weapons system during the summer, but neither the Defense Department nor U.S. intelligence agencies had formally acknowledged China’s suspected test of a hypersonic weapons system, so Milley’s recognition and characterization of the suspected test is significant (CBS News).

(A "Sputnik moment" refers to the 1957 launch of the USSR's Sputnik satellite.  This was the first launch of an artificial satellite, and it demonstrated the USSR's weapons potential to launch a weapon into low earth orbit at anything the Soviet military wanted to hit.  The actual Sputnik satellite was only a radio transmitter that failed after only a few weeks in orbit.  Although not scientifically important, the Sputnik managed to frighten pretty much every other government on earth into wondering what the Soviet military capabilities were.  Especially since the Americans weren't able to get anything into orbit until 5 months later -- American efforts kept exploding on the launch pad.  The USSR has since became unstable and collapsed in the early 1990s.)

Hypersonic weapons have a long history, going back to the 1960s. But while General Milley did not elaborate, the surprise appears to have arisen from how China joined two different technologies — the launch of a missile that completed a partial orbit of the earth, and a hypersonic vehicle that could plow a suddenly shifting path, maneuvering in ways that would render all current U.S. missile defenses obsolete (New York Times).

The US is developing similar hypersonic capability, although the Chinese military seems to be ahead.  The US military has successfully tested a hypersonic booster (Reuters)

Defense contractors hope to make the weapons and develop new detection and defeat mechanisms.

Going Mach 5, or over 60 miles per minute, creates a number of complex engineering and physics challenges.  As one of the Department of Defense’s highest technical priorities, scientists and engineers are developing game-changing hypersonic defenses.

Hypersonic weapons and air and missile defense are key priorities of the United States Department of Defense's National Defense Strategy and Missile Defense Review.   (Lockheed Martin)

PROMONTORY, Utah, May 27, 2021 –The Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) and Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC) team successfully conducted a significant live fire hypersonic strike system test in support of the U.S. Navy’s Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) and U.S. Army’s Long Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) programs.

In this live fire ground test of the first stage solid rocket motor, the motor fired for the full trial duration and met performance parameters and objectives within anticipated ranges.  (Lockheed Martin news release)