By Benjamin H. Friedman
The recent report in the Financial Times that China tested a nuclear-capable hypersonic weapon has pundits, members of Congress, and even Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley worried about a “Sputnik moment.” Given the failure of the United States’ own test of a hypersonic missile last week, it seems to many that a hypersonic missile gap has opened, harming U.S. security.
But even if China’s test means it has perfected a new way to deliver a nuclear warhead—a big if—it’s no cause for alarm. A new nuclear delivery system will not meaningfully shift the balance of military power with the United States, nor would it enable a Chinese attack on U.S. partners and allies in East Asia. China already had an assured ability to conduct a nuclear strike on the United States. This test just makes it harder to pretend otherwise.
This piece was originally published in World Politics Review on October 28, 2021. Read more HERE.