Russia is finalizing field tests of hypersonics that are due to be deployed on ships in less than a year, and has actually fired them from ships at targets.
China is more secretive but there is evidence there were at this stage 5+ years ago.
Why be secretive about this stuff? Isn't its whole raison d'etre to be a deterrent in the face of American anti-missile systems? Or is this something more like a Corbomite Maneuver?
The Chinese are generally quite secretive about everything unless it's been in full-scale production for a while.
They probably think that their manoeuvrable ballistic missiles are already enough of a deterrent, being hypersonic already, and those are actually deployed and ready for combat, so much more of a deterrent.
Really not. Hypersonic missiles are a game changer because, without any risk of escalation, they are un-interceptable and can hit very important and high value assets very fast without requiring survivable targeting platforms.
If somebody takes out the GHQ of a superpower tomorrow with this, that is certainly "very escalateable," but unlike other options it still requires conventional follow up to deliver defeat, and keep the enemy occupied in immediate aftermath. And it surely lacks the intimidation factor of a massive nuclear ballistic missile attack.
No amount of surgical strikes will be enough to behead a well trained military of a superpower, unless somebody on the ground goes, and routes them after the initial strike, preventing the enemy chain of command from recovering.
Tanks, and troops on the ground will still be needed to capture enemy's capital, and surround, and immobilise major enemy concentrations.
No one is trying to invade a superpower. Certainly not China.
The point of hypersonic missiles is to paralyze the force projection abilities of an exceptionally powerful military. For that striking only 30-40 very high value targets is enough.
