China claims new hypersonic glide vehicles could target high value US planes in air

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 Beijing has not publicly confirmed the reported development. Hypersonic vehicles become aircraft hunters Hypersonic glide vehicles, or HGVs, are maneuverable warheads that travel through the atmosphere at speeds exceeding Mach 5 after being carried aloft by a rocket. Unlike conventional ballistic warheads, they can alter their trajectory during flight, making them harder to predict, track and intercept. China has now reportedly equipped some of these vehicles with air-to-air weapons. It has also introduced a similar capability to certain hypersonic cruise missiles while adapting several other missile types for anti-ship missions. No other country is publicly known to operate a weapon combining a hypersonic glide vehicle with air-to-air missiles. A vehicle launched aboard China’s DF-17 missile could travel about 1,500 miles (2,414 kilometers), nearly covering the distance between mainland China and Guam, home to major US military facilities. The longer-range DF-27 can reportedly travel about 5,000 miles, potentially placing aircraft operating around Hawaii within reach. US support aircraft could lose their safe zone The weapons could force the US to reconsider how it operates aircraft traditionally kept far behind the front line. Aerial refueling tankers extend the range of fighters and bombers, while airborne early-warning aircraft detect threats and coordinate operations. Flying command posts such as the E-4B Nightwatch are also designed to remain at a considerable distance from direct combat. Targeting these aircraft could disrupt an entire air campaign without requiring China to engage every fighter or bomber individually. A report by the US Air Force’s China Aerospace Studies Institute said China’s missile modernization efforts “increasingly prioritize the ability to inflict coordinated, system–level damage across an adversary’s operational architecture.” The reported development forms part of Beijing’s effort to assign more missions to its growing missile force. Pentagon estimates indicate that China possessed at least 3,150 ballistic missiles and 300 ground-launched cruise missiles in 2024. Long-range attack faces major hurdles Despite its potential reach, using a ballistic missile to attack a moving aircraft would be technically difficult. A missile travelling at maximum range could take 20 minutes or longer to arrive. Sensors would need to locate the aircraft, continuously update its position, and transmit precise targeting data through a long kill chain that opponents could jam or disrupt. The launch would also pose a dangerous risk of escalation. Because ballistic missiles can carry nuclear warheads, an adversary could mistake a conventional launch for a nuclear attack and respond before determining its actual target. The US is also expanding its long-range air-to-air arsenal. Its AIM-174B was developed from the SM-6 air-defense missile, while the Navy is testing the AIM-424 Malice with a stated range exceeding 300 miles.China’s reported system takes a different approach by using a hypersonic vehicle to attack aircraft from extremely long distances.Get the latest in engineering, tech, space & science - delivered daily to your inbox.Atharva is a full-time content writer with a post-graduate degree in media & amp; entertainment and a graduate degree in electronics & telecommunications. He has written in the sports and technology domains respectively. In his leisure time, Atharva loves learning about digital marketing and watching soccer matches. His main goal behind joining Interesting Engineering is to learn more about how the recent technological advancements are helping human beings on both societal and individual levels in their daily lives.