China is believed to be rolling out a powerful new Intercontinental Ballistic Missile capable of delivering a powerload at 20 times the speed of sound.
The multi-stage missile being worked on by Beijing will reportedly fly out of Earth’s atmosphere before turning back to hit a target at a supersonic speed.
Such systems can be used to deliver a devastating nuclear payload through the Chinese ICBMs under development are designed to carry a conventional explosive warhead.
China already holds over 200 nuclear-capable ICBMs which is the world’s third-largest arsenal behind the US and Russia.
A US Defence Department report acknowledged that the Chinese conventional ICBMS could be a serious threat and prove hard to intercept.
The report stated: “If developed and fielded, such capabilities would allow the PRC to threaten conventional strikes against targets in the continental United States, Hawaii and Alaska,” the Pentagon warned in its recent report.
Writing in the Telegraph, American military correspondent David Axe argued the new Chinese ICBM system will force the US into an impossible choice.
He writes: “If the Americans can’t tell a nuclear ICBM from a non-nuclear one and also can’t be sure they could shoot down an incoming ICBM, then they have to treat every ICBM launch as a potential nuclear strike and respond accordingly – with ICBMs of their own. The alternative could be one-sided atomic annihilation.”
Recently the head of MI5 has warned that Beijing has made thwarting the AUKUS nuclear submarine deal a “top priority”.
Intelligence chief Ken McCallum is concerned that China is desperately looking to derail the pact which was launched in 2021 to counter Beijing’s creeping influence.
The head of MI5 has warned that Beijing has made thwarting the AUKUS nuclear submarine deal a “top priority”.
Intelligence chief Ken McCallum is concerned that China is desperately looking to derail the pact which was launched in 2021 to counter Beijing’s creeping influence.
