China is undoubtedly ahead of the Americans in developing hypersonic weapons technology (as are the Russians). That’s a sad state of affairs, considering that the United States has been researching these weapons for decades. 

It begs the question as to just what the defense establishment in Washington has really been spending its vast sums of tax dollars on (perhaps the new administration should audit the Pentagon?). 

China Keeps Making Strides—At Hypersonic Speeds

Just two years ago, Chinese scientists broke the news that they had figured out a way to beam 6G internet communications using a laser into a hypersonic glide vehicle that was entering its terminal descent phase.

This was an impressive feat because all hypersonic glide vehicles struggle through what many scientists refer to as “five minutes of Hell.” That’s the time period in the flight of a hypersonic glide vehicle when the weapon re-enters the Earth’s atmosphere from space on its way to its target and is traveling so fast in the atmosphere that superheated plasma forms around the vehicle. Because of that unwanted plasma shield, no communications can be sent or received by the hypersonic vehicle. 

That’s a key vulnerability that all hypersonic glide vehicles possess. Or at least it was. Because by using a high-powered laser trained on the hypersonic vehicle as it re-enters the atmosphere, Chinese technicians can maintain constant contact with the death machine—and ensure that they can maximize its lethality while avoiding enemy disruptions to its final glide phase.

Loading Hypersonic Glide Vehicles with Submunitions 

Now comes China with a whole new round of advances for their hypersonic weapons. Joshua Trevithick at The War Zone broke news that China has created a hypersonic vehicle that is “loaded with different types of submunitions, including supersonic missiles and drones.” 

According to Trevithick, these weapons will be used for multiple mission sets, ranging from “kinetic strikes and non-kinetic operations like electronic warfare, as well as reconnaissance, against multiple targets across a broader area.”

Designed by the Guangdong Aerodynamic Research Academy, the GDF-600 is the official title for the “new unpowered hypersonic boost-glide vehicle concept.” 

China Made History at the Zhuhai Air Show

A mock-up of this new prototype was displayed proudly for all to see at the Zhuhai Air Show in Guangdong, China. There have already been an impressive amount of breaking news stories coming out of the Zhuhai Air Show, including the story that the Russian Su-57 stealth plane was so impressive it got its first export order. 

China’s military also displayed their answer to America’s F-35 Lightning II, the J-35, and a two-seat version of China’s version of the F-22A Raptor, the J-20, was displayed.

The messaging from Beijing is clear: don’t mess with us, Uncle Sam. Because, irrespective of who is America’s president, China has turned a technological corner.

The Specs of China’s New Hypersonic Weapon

Specifications of the prototype indicate that the GDF-600 can carry up to 11,000 pounds—that includes up to 2,645.5 pounds of submunitions for secondary and tertiary attacks from a single hypersonic glide vehicle. The hypersonic craft is believed to be able to hit speeds up to Mach 7, too. Its range is likely anywhere between 124 and 370 miles. 

Oh, and this unpowered hypersonic glide vehicle can deploy a loitering munition or a kamikaze drone on top of its other armaments. Social media posts from the Zhuhai Air Show this year show the mock-up carrying six uncrewed aerial systems (UAS), along with six loitering munitions, and 13 subsonic missiles.

What Does This Mean for Taiwan (and America)?

This weapon system is a true game-changer and completely tips the balance of power in the Taiwan Strait (where this system is likely most suited for use) decisively in China’s favor. It can also be used very effectively in China’s bid to dominate the South China Sea (SCS). 

All this is being done on a relatively shoestring budget (when compared with the defense budget of the United States). This fact alone should necessitate the incoming Trump administration, as well as the Republican-controlled Congress, to launch real inquiries into how the well-funded Department of Defense is getting its backside kicked in hypersonic weapons development (and other areas) by powers that a decade ago lacked this capability.

About the Author: 

Brandon J. Weichert, a National Interest national security analyst, is a former Congressional staffer and geopolitical analyst who is a contributor at The Washington Times, the Asia Times, and The-Pipeline. He is the author of Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His next book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine, is available for purchase wherever books are sold. Weichert can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.

Image Credit: Creative Commons.