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China developed hypersonic glide vehicles with air-to-air weapons, posing a challenge to US air operations.
A member of the People’s Liberation Army stands as YJ-20 hypersonic anti-ship missiles are displayed during a military parade to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two, in Beijing, China (File/Reuters)
The Chinese military has developed hypersonic glide vehicles capable of launching air-to-air weapons against high-value aircraft operating thousands of miles away, Bloomberg reported, citing a person with direct knowledge of the matter.
According to the report, the development is part of the Chinese effort to expand the roles of its missile arsenal, which the report described as the world’s largest, with more than 3,150 ballistic missiles.
The new capability could pose a serious challenge to US air operations in a potential conflict with China, particularly aircraft that are designed to operate far from frontline combat.
Hypersonic Weapons Target Distant Aircraft
The report mentioned that China has added air-to-air capabilities to some hypersonic cruise missiles and incorporated anti-ship capabilities into several types of missiles.
The reported capability could allow China to threaten aircraft such as aerial tankers, airborne warning-and-control aircraft and flying command posts.
These aircraft typically operate away from direct combat but play critical roles in supporting military operations.
A hypersonic glide vehicle deployed from a DF-17 missile could travel about 1,500 miles, or 2,414 kilometres, according to the report.
The report noted that this is just short of the distance between China and the US territory of Guam, which hosts a major US military site.
The DF-27 missile, meanwhile, has a reported maximum range of about 5,000 miles, putting Hawaii within its range, the report mentioned.
HGVs Complicate Missile Defence
Hypersonic glide vehicles, or HGVs, are warheads capable of manoeuvring through the atmosphere while travelling toward their targets.
Bloomberg reported that this ability can extend their range and make interception more difficult. The report said no other country is known to operate weapons that combine an HGV with air-to-air missiles.
A US Air Force China Aerospace Studies Institute report this year, cited by Bloomberg, said China’s missile modernisation efforts “increasingly prioritise the ability to inflict coordinated, system–level damage across an adversary’s operational architecture.”
The reported development, however, also comes with significant operational challenges.
The report said using what is essentially a ballistic missile to attack a distant aircraft can be costly, difficult and risky.
Long ‘Kill Chain’ Creates Challenges
According to the report, a ballistic missile can take 20 minutes or more to reach its target at maximum range. This means targeting information needs to be extremely precise, particularly when the intended target is a moving aircraft.
The report described the process of transmitting information from distant sensors to the missile as a lengthy “kill chain”, potentially creating opportunities for an adversary to disrupt the operation.
There is also a risk that the launch of a ballistic missile could be mistaken for a nuclear attack.
Bloomberg said this so-called discrimination problem could complicate the use of such weapons, particularly during an all-out conflict, when an attack could inadvertently trigger a nuclear response.
China’s Expanding Missile Arsenal
According to the report, China appeared to increase missile production last year by the largest amount since Xi Jinping became president in 2013.
The report also cited Pentagon estimates that China had at least 3,150 ballistic missiles and 300 ground-launched cruise missiles as of 2024.
Those figures represented increases of 147 per cent and 50 per cent, respectively, from 2015, when the US began publicly disclosing such estimates.
US Also Developing Long-Range Air-To-Air Missiles
Bloomberg said long-range air-to-air weapons are considered important for any future conflict and noted that the US has also been developing systems with extended ranges.
The US developed the AIM-174B from RTX Corp.’s SM-6 air-defence missile. The report said its precise range remains classified, while the ground-launched SM-6 has a range of 250 miles or more.
The US Navy said on Saturday that it was testing the AIM-424 Malice air-to-air missile, developed by RTX unit Raytheon Co., which it said has a range of more than 300 miles, according to Bloomberg.
The Lockheed Martin AIM-260 missile is also in production but has not yet entered service, while MBDA’s Meteor, widely used in Europe, is ramjet-powered and can hit targets more than 100 miles away, the report said.
Key Questions Answered
Ask News18China’s new hypersonic missile capability, which includes hypersonic glide vehicles with air-to-air weapons, could pose a serious challenge to US air operations, particularly for aircraft designed to operate far from frontline combat.
Ask News18About the Author
Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has more than 10 years of experience in national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.
August 25, 2026, 09:55 IST
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