China’s Hypersonic Weapons: A Significant Global Security Threat

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By Kris Osborn – President & Editor-In-Chief, Warrior Maven

China’s recent testing of its FOB nuclear-capable hypersonic glide vehicle introduces tactical and strategic threats to the U.S. and its Pacific allies of great consequence, according to a former Pentagon weapons developer.

Dr. Michael Griffin, former Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering says if China establishes any kind of hypersonic weapons overmatch against the U.S., it might be able to block U.S. and allied forces from approaching certain vital areas such as Guam and Taiwan.

“China’s FOB is a tactical asset that has a strategic impact and that is hard to do. What are the global implications of China being able to enforce a keep-out zone of everything West of Guam,” Griffin said during an event at the Advanced Nuclear Weapons Alliance Deterrence Center called “Policy Implications of Hypersonic Weapons and Strategic Nuclear Deterrence.”

The concept Griffin suggested pertains to a possible Chinese overmatch circumstance should China be capable of launching a salvo against approaching U.S. or allied forces operating without any comparable response. 

China’s Hypersonic Weapons

The equation is clear, meaning if China has an arsenal of operational hypersonic weapons and the U.S. simply does not, approaching U.S. forces in the Pacific would have no defense against a hypersonic missile attack.