Space-Launched Mach 20 Missiles Capable of Striking Targets in Half an Hour: China Developing Rapid Space Attack Capabilities
China has made significant strides in hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) technology, developing long-range weapons that pose a challenge to existing missile defenses. The DF-17, for instance, is an example of China's investment in rapid-response, high-speed strike systems, capable of reaching speeds exceeding Mach 5 and distances between 1,800 to 2,500 km [1][5].
In 2025, China expanded its hypersonic arsenal with various new missiles, including hypersonic waveriders and scramjet-powered designs like the YJ-17, YJ-19, and YJ-20. Some of these weapons are launched from naval platforms, such as the Type 055 destroyers’ vertical launch systems, enhancing China’s anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) capabilities in key regions like Taiwan and the South China Sea [3][1].
While China has not yet confirmed operational space-based launch platforms for HGVs, the conceptual potential exists. HGVs are typically launched via rocket boosters to near-space altitudes before gliding to targets, a method also used by Russia’s Avangard system. Developing true space-based launch capabilities would represent a major technological leap but involves substantial challenges, including propulsion, materials that withstand extreme heat and stress, and guidance at hypersonic speeds in vacuum to atmosphere transition [2][5].
China faces several challenges in developing and deploying HGVs, including the need for materials and propulsion systems capable of sustaining hypersonic speeds and maneuvers, overcoming sensor and guidance difficulties amid intense heating and plasma sheaths during glide, ensuring reliable integration of nuclear or conventional warheads, and defending against emerging detection and interception countermeasures [3][2].
The global security implications of China’s hypersonic HGV advancements are profound. The ability to strike critical targets rapidly with maneuverable hypersonic weapons challenges current missile defense frameworks, destabilizing strategic deterrence and potentially prompting arms races in hypersonic technologies and countermeasures. Space-based launch capabilities would exacerbate these concerns, potentially allowing prompt global strike options with minimal warning, thus complicating crisis stability and raising strategic tensions [1][3][5].
Meanwhile, the United States and the United Kingdom are investing in air-breathing hypersonic propulsion systems. Researchers under the UK Ministry of Defence have completed 233 successful engine tests of a next-generation scramjet. Western programs focus on terrestrial-launched systems with high propulsion flexibility and extended range [4].
Communication is a challenge during the final approach phase due to limited available bandwidth, hindering real-time adjustments and target refinement as the vehicle closes in on its destination. HGVs described in the study can reach speeds up to Mach 20, enabling them to reach targets anywhere on Earth in under 30 minutes [4].
Images from Chinese military parades, such as the 70th anniversary of the People's Republic of China, have showcased systems like the DF-17, believed to be equipped with HGVs. Earlier claims by U.S. intelligence agencies suggest China tested orbital hypersonic delivery systems as early as 2021, a claim initially met with skepticism by some experts [6]. The study suggests deploying HGVs not just from ground-based launchers but from space-based platforms such as satellites or orbital stations [6].
The design philosophy of the Western programs emphasizes sustained speed and maneuverability over orbital unpredictability [4]. As the race for hypersonic dominance continues, it is crucial for nations to prioritize transparency, dialogue, and cooperation to mitigate the potential destabilizing effects of these technologies on global security and strategic stability.
China's advancements in hypersonic technology, including HGVs, extend to space-and-astronomy, as the conceptual potential for space-based launch platforms exists, offering a potential major leap in technology but with substantial challenges. In the realm of science, researchers in the United States and the United Kingdom are also focusing on air-breathing hypersonic propulsion systems, prioritizing sustained speed and maneuverability over orbital unpredictability.
