China’s new hypersonic weapon could challenge US air power

China’s military has developed hypersonic glide vehicles (HGVs) capable of launching air-to-air weapons, an advancement that could threaten high-value US aircraft operating far from the battlefield, Bloomberg reports.

The development is part of a broader Chinese effort to expand the roles of its extensive missile arsenal, including by adding air-to-air capabilities to some hypersonic cruise missiles and anti-ship functions to several missile types.

Such weapons could put critical US support aircraft—including aerial tankers, airborne early-warning and control planes and flying command posts such as the E-4B Nightwatch—at greater risk during a potential conflict with China.

An HGV deployed from a DF-17 missile could reportedly travel about 1,500 miles (2,414 kilometres), while the DF-27 has a maximum range of roughly 5,000 miles, potentially placing Guam and Hawaii within reach, respectively.

HGVs can maneuver through the atmosphere during flight, extending their effective range and making interception more difficult. No other country is publicly known to operate a weapon combining an HGV with air-to-air missiles.

A US Air Force China Aerospace Studies Institute report said China’s missile modernization efforts “increasingly prioritize the ability to inflict coordinated, system–level damage across an adversary’s operational architecture.”

However, using ballistic missile technology against distant aircraft presents significant challenges, including the need for highly accurate targeting data and a vulnerable long-range “kill chain.”

The weapons also carry escalation risks because a ballistic missile launch could be mistaken for a nuclear attack.

The Pentagon estimated that China possessed at least 3,150 ballistic missiles and 300 ground-launched cruise missiles as of 2024, representing substantial increases from 2015.

By Vafa Guliyeva