I have a hunch they’re trying to attack the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier
Any military is going to practice things. It makes sense for china to practice this since they are literally surrounded by usa military bases and are threatened by them constantly. This is nothingburger.
The only thing that’s threatened by US military bases are their imperial ambitions in the region. There’s a reason why even Vietnam is seeking US protection. You know that the US isn’t going to attack China first.
You know that the US isn’t going to attack China first.
Then there’s the Trump factor…
High value target, vulnerable in a conflict with China.
https://news.usni.org/2021/06/14/mda-u-s-aircraft-carriers-now-at-risk-from-hypersonic-missiles
Counter argument:
Caveat on this article:
Several contractors with a stake in the carrier debate contribute to my think tank, including Huntington Ingalls Industries HII —the only company in the world that manufactures large-deck, nuclear-powered carriers.
The thing with our current hypersonic missiles is that they’re only hypersonic during the transit. They don’t hit the target at hypersonic speeds. Traveling at those speeds creates plasma around the missile which prevents communication with airplanes, satellites or ground based radars. You also have to be high up in the atmosphere where air is thin or otherwise your missile is going to turn into a fireball way before it reaches the target. This is what also prevents you from attaching a seeker into the front of the missile; that would melt aswell.
This is why Ukraine has shot down Russian “hypersonic missiles” with the US patriot system even though that should be impossible. It is impossible while the missile is still hypersonic but that’s not when you intercept it. You wait for it to get closer and slow down first. That’s why Kinzhal doesn’t really count as a hypersonic weapon or if it does then so does the German V-2 from the 40’s.
gotta admit, that is a lot safer approach than trying some shit on the real thing