Pic: Courtesy Sandboxx US
Introduction
Hypersonic projectiles and platforms are emerging as a highly valued weapon system for militaries world over, due to their unique combination of attributes. The characteristics of hypersonic missiles include sustained high speed (five times the speed of sound), increased manoeuvrability, and High altitude trajectory (in upper atmosphere – higher than cruise missiles but lower than the apogee of ballistic missiles). These attributes make them difficult to be intercepted by the existing missile defence systems.
As in the space race and other high-technology fields, China has made a major effort to match Russian and U.S. capabilities. PRC research into the military potential of hypersonic technologies used to lag far behind that of Russia and the United States. But during the past decade, China has invested heavily in new hypersonic research, development, test, and evaluation programs and facilities, and now her research may have surpassed that of the U.S. in some regards.
