China Claims Hypersonic Vehicles Could Strike Critical US Military Aircraft
The reported advance could let Beijing target tankers and command aircraft from long range, as China’s missile arsenal exceeds 3,150 ballistic weapons, officials said.
- China has developed hypersonic glide vehicles capable of launching air-to-air weapons to threaten high-value aircraft thousands of kilometers away, a capability no other country is known to operate.
- This breakthrough is part of a larger effort by China to use its missile arsenal—the world's largest at more than 3,150 ballistic weapons—for nearly every military task, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter.
- Using ballistic missiles to attack distant aircraft is risky and difficult, requiring precise targeting information; the long "kill chain" makes operations easy to disrupt, while 20 minutes or more flight time risks nuclear misidentification.
- On Aug 22, Navy tested the AIM-424 Malice air-to-air missile with a range exceeding 482km, amid supply struggles after six months of war with Iran.
- The China Aerospace Studies Institute reported in 2026 that China's missile modernization efforts "increasingly prioritise the ability to inflict coordinated, system-level damage across an adversary," threatening support aircraft including the E-4B Nightwatch.
19 Articles
19 Articles
China has at least 3,150 ballistic missiles and DF-27 would have sufficient range to place Hawaii in its range of action.
China’s new hypersonic missile puts US on notice
China has escalated the hypersonic arms race with a new class of manoeuvrable warhead designed to strike aircraft thousands of miles away while evading interception. According to a report from The Telegraph, Beijing has developed an air-to-air hypersonic glide vehicle capable of targeting high-value support planes far from any combat zone, placing American aerial operations […]
China claims hypersonic vehicles could strike critical US military aircraft
China has reportedly developed hypersonic glide vehicles capable of launching air-to-air weapons against US military aircraft operating thousands of miles from the battlefield. The capability is designed to threaten high-value support aircraft, including aerial tankers, surveillance planes and flying command posts, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter. The source did not disclose when or where the weapons were tested, while …
China develops hypersonic missiles to target planes miles away, its range will blow your mind
In a major development, China's military has developed hypersonic glide vehicles (HGVs) that are capable of launching air-to-air weapons. With the country being a significant neighbour of India, Beijing's missile tech advancement could be crucial for regional and global security.
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