WASHINGTON , -- China conducted a "very concerning test" of a hypersonic weapon in its aggressive move in space and military technology, according to a top U.S. military official.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley was the first Pentagon official that confirmed on the record the nature of a test by the Chinese military this year. The Financial Times reported that it was a nuclear-capable hypersonic weapons that was launched into orbit around the Earth, before returning to the atmosphere and gliding towards its target in China.
Milley stated that he couldn't discuss specific details as they involved classified intelligence. Milley said that the United States is also working on hypersonic weapon designs. Their key features include speed, flight trajectory, and maneuverability. They are capable of evading U.S. missile defenses' early warning systems. Milley claimed that China had made a hypersonic weapon test. However, the U.S. has yet to do so.
Milley stated that "What we saw was an extremely significant event in a test of hypersonic weapon systems, and it's very concerning." Milley spoke on Bloomberg Television's "The David Rubenstein show: Peer to peer conversations"
He said, "I believe I saw in some newspapers, they used Sputnik moment," he continued. I don't know if this is a Sputnik moment but it seems very close. It's an extremely significant technological event or test that was conducted by the Chinese. It has our complete attention."
In 1957, the Soviet Union launched a Sputnik satellite. This shock shocked the world and fed fears by the United States that the Soviet Union was losing technological ground in an accelerating arms race during the early stages of nuclear age.
China has denied Western media reports that it had tested the rocket, claiming it was developing technology to make a peaceful space vehicle.
Jen Psaki, White House press secretary, said that Milley was expressing concern over China's military modernization.
She stated that "they continue to pursue capabilities which increase tensions within the region." "And we continue have concerns about this. His comments reflect that.
John Kirby, Pentagon press secretary, declined to comment on the test and on Milley's comments. He said that China's work in advanced hypersonic weaponry was one of a "suite" of issues that causes the Biden administration concern about "the trajectory of what is happening in the Indo-Pacific."
Kirby, when asked about U.S. hypersonic weapon technologies progress, said that it was "real, tangible and we are absolutely working towards being able to develop it." He declined to give specifics.
Some U.S. defense professionals believe that concerns about China's hypersonic weapon, which could launch a nuclear weapon out of space, are exaggerated.
In an essay published last week by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, James Acton stated that the United States is always vulnerable to a Chinese nuke attack.
Acton stated that while the possibility of a nuclear attack on the United States can be frightening, this is not a Sputnik moment. This is partly because it's unclear what was tested and mostly because the threat from a Chinese nuclear attack upon the United States doesn't seem to be new.
In addition to its advances in hypersonic weapons, China has been expanding its network of underground silos that could be used to launch intercontinental-range nuclear missiles, and it has rebuffed U.S. calls to join nuclear arms control talks. The U.S. has also raised concerns over what it considers Chinese attempts to intimidate Taiwan. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory. It also wants to claim other land features and disputed islands in the South China Sea.
