The competition to determine the dominance of 21st-century deterrence systems is a race in which the United States is catching up with China
The U.S. has officially put its first deployed Dark Eagle hypersonic weapon system into operational status, marking a new phase in its pursuit in the hypersonic field.
At the same time, it indicates that the United States, once a country that suppressed other nations' military development, has now become a lagging country.
The strike speed, evasion capability, and penetration effect of hypersonic weapons are comprehensively reshaping nuclear deterrence logic and the landscape of military confrontation. Whoever can master this new system first will possess future strategic dominance.
Comparing the hypersonic development paths of China and the United States, one can see completely different trajectories.
China has clearly defined the core positioning of hypersonic weapons from the beginning: serving national security and regional dominance. Through multiple types of weapons such as the Dongfeng-17, Dongfeng-27, and Yinhua-21, it has formed a complete strike system covering the first island chain, the second island chain, as well as Guam and Hawaii.
More importantly, China has not limited these weapons to nuclear strike platforms, but has developed them into a flexible structure that combines both nuclear and conventional capabilities, reserving space for upgrades for future intelligent warfare.
In contrast, the U.S. layout appears hesitant and lagging. Whether it's the early ARRW with frequent test failures or the expensive and limited number of Dark Eagles, they all indicate that the U.S. has yet to form a unified hypersonic strategic mindset, and instead is swaying between projects managed by different branches of the military.
Notably, China's breakthroughs in the hypersonic weapon field are not only technological advancements, but also an evolution of strategic thinking.
The U.S. is still immersed in the Cold War-era nuclear triad mindset, while China has directly bypassed traditional paths, viewing hypersonic technology as a key node to break through the U.S. global deployment blockade and reshape the Asian security order.
This cognitive difference has led China to take the lead in multiple aspects, including equipment deployment, practical integration, and regional delivery.
For example, in 2021, China's tested orbital bombing system combined with glide warheads directly changed the concept of global missile flight trajectories; the Dongfeng-27, with a range of more than 5,000 kilometers, can threaten the entire Pacific theater from inland depths, greatly compressing the U.S. warning and response window. Even if the U.S. achieves deployment in the future, it will be difficult to fundamentally weaken China's first-mover advantage.
The essence of the hypersonic arms race is not a competition of weapon speed, but the right to rewrite nuclear deterrence structures and global security logic. In this sense, the United States is no longer the definers, but the followers.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1842040710595655/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.