On Thursday, July 14, 2022 at 12:56:30 PM UTC-4, stoney wrote:
On Wednesday, July 13, 2022 at 7:44:39 PM UTC+8, ltlee1 wrote:
"China’s hypersonic weapons program drew international attention in October 2021 when the Financial Times (FT) reported that it had tested a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile in August that circled the globe before hitting its target,
demonstrating an advanced weapon that reportedly caught US intelligence services by surprise.
Mark Milley, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, described the test as a “Sputnik moment,” as US military scientists apparently did not understand how the feat was accomplished, the FT stated.
The same report says that China’s test involved an orbital bombardment system, which follows a lower trajectory than ballistic missiles, making it harder to intercept. It can fly over the North or South Poles, with most US missile defenses
positioned to defend against attacks from the North Pole.
While the test rang alarm bells in Washington, China had tested hypersonic weapons for some time before last August’s “Sputnik moment” blast. In November 2017, The Diplomat reported that China tested its DF-17 medium-range hypersonic missile, a
weapon with a range of 1,800 and 2,500 kilometers capable of delivering nuclear or conventional payloads that may be configured to launch a maneuverable reentry vehicle instead of a DF-ZF hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) as its payload.
...
Missile Threat notes that the appearance of the DF-17 during China’s October 2019 military parade indicated that the hypersonic weapon may have already entered service in the Chinese military.
...
Russia expanding its nuclear options
In a fiery March 2018 address, Russian President Vladimir Putin unveiled six “superweapons” types that can carry nuclear or conventional warheads.
Specifically, these weapons are the Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missile, the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle, the Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile, the Poseidon nuclear-armed underwater drone and the Tsirkon hypersonic cruise missile.
Sanaa Alvira from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies of Monterey notes all of these weapons can be either nuclear or conventionally-armed. She also mentions that offensive weapons such as the Avangard and Burevestnik are designed
specifically to defeat US missile defense systems.
At the same time, the Kinzhal and Tsirkon appear to be developed to match US precision-strike capabilities. She also notes that Poseidon was first designed to dissuade the US from further developing its missile defense systems. However, it has since
evolved into a multipurpose system against ships and submarines.
...
US as a hypersonic laggard
US hypersonic research efforts date back to the 1960s. Yet recently its hypersonic weapons program has been struck with a string of highly-publicized failures leading to concerns that the country is losing its former edge against near-peer
competitors China and Russia.
Current US interest in hypersonic weapons may be traced to the Prompt Global Strike program that was conceptualized during the George W Bush administration.
The concept calls for US capability to deliver conventional strikes anywhere in the world in approximately an hour, as described by the Institute for National Strategic Studies. Hypersonic weapons are well suited for this mission, as the 2007 Prompt
Global Strike plan calls for using hypersonic glide weapons to implement the concept.
Currently, the US is developing the AGM-183 Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) for the Air Force, the Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) for the Army, and the Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) missile for the Navy.
...
Long-term hypersonic trends
The great power race to develop hypersonics may ultimately trigger three long-term and crucial trends.
First, the proliferation of hypersonics may lead to a full-blown arms race while simultaneously accelerating the development of asymmetric countermeasures.
...
Second, future arms control agreements may seek to impose restrictions on hypersonics.
...
Third, states may view hypersonics as a must-have prestige weapon to shape the perceptions of their adversaries and international audiences."
https://asiatimes.com/2022/07/superheated-race-for-hypersonic-supremacy/
China is the world leader with the most patented leader in advanced 5G high speed data technology in the world. No one in the world is able to match the quality of speed and reliability of their 5G data equipment technology. The whole of China has been
wired up with 5G technology already. f G phone is now widely used by consumers in China. China's recent test completion of 6G will soon be further refined to 7G. It will be deployed to cater to certain advanced integrated requirement.
Together, they will drive integration with their advanced AI technology and cyber-space satellite and rocket technology to cater to their advanced hypersonic precision cruise missile weapons. The hypersonic weapon will circle around earth, at times at
different orbital levels to prevent detection. The hypersonic weapon would drop and dive to earth through the stratosphere with shock and awe's speed on recalcitrant adversaries lurking in the world.
For sure, lots of China's friendly and partnering countries will buy them to boost their defense as a must-have prestigious hypersonic weapons to defend against adversaries. They will engage China to install them; train them, and to protect them
against recalcitrant adversaries. No country in the world wants to be dictated by US anymore. They don't want to be bossed around by US. They want to stand-up and be respected and will fight back to school, so to speak.
Hence, having seen how US is leading EU in dictating their demanding price on Russia to sell them at their specific price of oil and gas to them in order to limit Russia's oil and gas profit, they now know they were cheated as they are not part of them
anymore. Having seen their demand at Russia for lower price was not for them, they now have to steadfastly decided to switching their leaning to a more firmer relationship with China and Russia, instead.
Make no mistake, as they now know they are not part of their colluding deal on Russia as they are non-EU, non-NATO, non-5 eyes, non-AUKUS, and non-Quad countries to them, they now know they were being used and they will not be their friends anymore.
Hence, they will form their own group with China and Russia to foster their economic interests, instead.
With 5G and above technology, the line between a missile and a drone is getting more difficult to differentiate.
An American Rear Admiral Robert Spalding knows the threat of 5G technology to US military supremacy. He had
written a 2019 book with the title of "Stealth War: How China Took Over While America's Elite Slept" to sound the
alarm.
But for defence, balloon based system looks like a good way.
https://menafn.com/1104501737/US-Floating-Hot-Air-Balloons-To-Guard-Against-Hypersonics
"(MENAFN- Asia Times)
In a throwback to 19th-century aerial warfare, the US is mulling the use of hot-air balloons for
hypersonic missile tracking and aerial surveillance.
Politico reported that high-altitude inflatables flying at 60,000 to 90,000 feet could supplement
America's extensive satellite surveillance network and be used to track hypersonic weapons
amid growing US concerns about China and Russia's growing arsenals of the weapon.
Pentagon documents cited in the report show that the technology is moving from the US
Department of Defense's (DoD) scientific community to the US military.
Budget documents from the last two years show that the Pentagon has spent US$3.8 million
on balloon projects, with plans to spend $27.1 million in the fiscal year 2023, marking a slightly
more than sevenfold increase in spending for high-altitude surveillance balloons.
In terms of specific systems, the Politico report identifies the Covert Long-Dwell Stratospheric
Architecture (COLD STAR) as the balloon program that has just been transferred to the US military.
However, it also notes that specific details are unavailable due to the project's classified nature.
According to Tom Karako, a senior fellow with the Center for International and Strategic Studies (CSIS),
a Washington-based think tank,“high or very high-altitude platforms have a lot of benefit for their
endurance on station, maneuverability and flexibility for multiple payloads,” as quoted by Politico.
In terms of missile defense, the balloons combine the persistent presence delivered by terrestrial
sensors, the wide-area coverage of airborne sensors, and the look-down angle to spot incoming
cruise missiles, notes defense publication Tactical Defense Media.
While terrestrial sensors have been the backbone of missile defense since the Cold War, CSIS says
they suffer from various inherent limitations. "
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