In sharp contrast, the USA’s experiments to operationalise a hypersonic missiles system have failed and the US department of defence has admitted this failure. The booster rockets which propel the glide vehicles to supersonic speed had failed.

On the other hand, Russia has also claimed to have successfully tested a hypersonic glide vehicles from a submarine. Earlier they had said another system was tested from a Russian warship.

Hypersonic weapons and missiles are the last frontier technology in current day military capabilities. As these weapons move at five times the speed of sound, they are difficult to track and destroy. The technology is so sophisticated that only a handful of countries are in a position to test fire these vehicles.

America, Russia and China are the known repositories of the hypersonic weapons technology. India had also stated sometime back the test flight of a hypersonic weapon system. Hypersonic weapons systems are the absolute final frontiers of modern day war technology.

Independent and almost simultaneous development of the hypersonic weapons systems by three countries are creating an atmosphere of uncontrolled development of brutal firepower. In the context of the gradual repudiation of the earlier agreement between USA and Russia on limitation of nuclear warheads and weapons during the cold war era, the emergence of hypersonic weapons is creating an altogether new framework for international relations.

Russia has been written off as a major power for some time now. However, in a powerful essay “The Myth of Russian Decline” in Foreign Affairs, two leading scholars, have argued that Russia continues to remain a major power, despite apparent slide. Russian defence scientists have continued to work on critical defence initiatives which retain tremendous firepower with the Russians.

On the other hand, China is achieving new milestones in military powers with every major breakthroughs in its technological innovations. From development of computer chips to large scale weapons systems, to building large aircraft carriers and stealth aircraft, China is proving its capabilities.

Reports have stated that twice this year, China tested hypersonic missiles, once in July and again in August, which could fly five times the speed of sound.

These satellites had travelled from Chinese launch sites, rounded the South Pole and then they were flipped and directed towards a target on the western Chinese deserts. The precision of these operations had left some of the military observers spellbound.

The advantage of these missiles is that they can fly low and thus avoid detection by radar systems installed so far for tracking intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Inter-continental ballistic missiles fired from Russian or Chinese sites to America typically travel over the North Pole and attain very high altitudes before coming down toward the target on earth. They are like a ball thrown high up and then come down. These are easily detected by scores of radars in Canada, Alaska and north Europe by the time these could start coming down towards US targets. Hence, these could be covered under the missiles shield systems and destroyed.

However, the Chinese hypersonic missiles have been launched which flew at low altitudes, this deflecting any tracking by radars. These glide vehicles have been so programmed to go towards the South Pole before climbing up north. These could therefore altogether bypass the network of radar systems in the northern hemisphere.

Queered by a global audience, the Chinese played down this achievement saying that there were some routine experiments of satellite technology.

Although denied by China, the US defence department has enough evidence on hand to confirm the success of the Chinese hypersonic glide vehicles. This capability of the Chinese put the Americans at a disadvantage vis a vis the Chinese in missile defence system.

What is sending a chill down the US military organisation is the realisation that China could now place nuclear weapons on many of the satellites and other vehicles it routinely sends up and places on a orbit. It is now feared that China could’ve placed a nuclear weapon on most of these vehicles and other objects.

Against this context of a new and emerging cold technological war, India needs to keep its guard. As such, we are not in a position to provide the huge outlays needed for such defence related research and development budgets. We are providing some funds, but these are not in step with those of China or US by a long measure. Indian policy makers have to decide what should be the best option to protect the national security in this technological war. (IPA Service)