US-Japan Glide-Phase Interceptor Team Might Stop Chinese Hypersonic Attack

By Kris Osborn, President, Center for Military Modernization

The People’s Liberation Army is known to have tested ship-deck-launched hypersonic weapons and deployed an air-launched variant from its H-6K bomber, developments which have fueled concerned that the PRC might be inclined to create a “hypersonic” attack bubble or sphere from which to prevent US and allied forces from invading Taiwan.

This kind of contingency has occupied a certain space in the Pentagon’s public discussions about China, as there is concern China might seek to exploit a window of advantage in the realm of hypersonics and essentially establish an “anti-access/area-denial” circle around Taiwan preventing US surface ships, aircraft or land forces from conducting defensive operations within striking range of waters near Taiwan. Should the PRC believe its military has a short-term tactical and operational advantage over the West in the realm of hypersonic weapons, it is conceivable that it could be interpreted as a window of opportunity within which to annex Taiwan.

US – Japan Glide Phase Interceptor Alliance

This threat scenario is likely a key reason the Pentagon is fast-tracking a US-Japan cooperative development agreement to engineer the Glide Phase Interceptor weapon, a next-generation technology designed to track and destroy hypersonics weapons attacks.

“The U.S. Missile Defense Agency is leading the development of GPI for the DoD, which will provide hypersonic missile defense capability during the glide-phase portion of hypersonic flight. Per the signed GPI Cooperative Development (GCD), Japan will lead development of rocket motors and propulsion components of GPI,” a Pentagon statement said.

The GPI is intended to intercept a boost-glide weapon which fires up along the boundary of the earth’s atmosphere before using sheer speed of descent to destroy its intended target. Naturally this kind of defensive weapon incorporates new generations of high-speed tracking technology.

A hypersonic boost-glide weapon, for example, is thrust up into the atmosphere to glide at hypersonic speeds before descending upon its target at unparalleled speed. It is at this “glide” point in the missile’s trajectory where there is the best opportunity to intercept it, just prior to its turning down into its ultimate high-speed descent.