U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has publicly warned that China’s hypersonic missile capabilities could potentially destroy all U.S. aircraft carriers within 20 minutes of a conflict’s onset. He emphasized that China is building an army specifically designed to destroy the United States, and in every war game played by the Pentagon, the United States loses to China. Hegseth’s remarks underscore the urgency for the United States to reassess its defense strategies and invest in countermeasures against emerging technologies such as hypersonic missiles. The Pentagon is reportedly accelerating efforts to develop and deploy advanced missile defense systems to mitigate these threats.
The reason behind Hegseth’s bold comments could be that U.S. aircraft carriers, while immensely powerful, face significant challenges when defending against hypersonic missiles. These missiles are a class of weapons that travel at speeds greater than Mach 5 (five times the speed of sound, or over 6,100 km/h) and are designed to evade traditional missile defense systems due to their speed, maneuverability, and low-altitude flight paths. The types of hypersonic missiles include hypersonic glide vehicles (HGVs) and hypersonic cruise missiles (HCMs). HGVs are launched into the upper atmosphere by a rocket. They detach and glide unpowered toward the target at hypersonic speeds, maneuvering unpredictably during flight, whereas HCMs are powered throughout their flight by scramjet engines. They travel at lower altitudes, using atmospheric oxygen for combustion. HCMs are more compact and air-launch compatible.
In fiscal year 2025, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has significantly increased its investment in hypersonic missile research and development, requesting $6.9 billion for this purpose. This marks a substantial rise from the $4.7 billion allocated in FY2023.
Currently, U.S. armed forces are developing hypersonic systems that include Dark Eagle, the Army’s long-range hypersonic weapon (LRHW); Navy’s conventional prompt strike (CPS), a sea-launched variant of the LRHW; and Air Force’s hypersonic attack cruise missile (HACM), being developed in collaboration with Australia, and aiming for operational capability by fiscal year 2027. However, a Government Accountability Office report highlighted that several U.S. hypersonic programs may need to be updated to utilize modern digital engineering practices, which could potentially lead to increased costs and delays.
Whereas China has rapidly advanced its hypersonic missile program, establishing itself as a global leader in this field. Over the past two decades, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has invested heavily in developing and deploying various hypersonic weapons, significantly outpacing the United States in both testing and operational capabilities.
China possesses medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) DF-17 with an HGV and is developing several other hypersonic missiles such as DF-27, DF-ZF, Starry Sky-2, DF-21D, and YJ-21.
PLA conducted multiple tests of the DF-17 between 2014 and 2017, with reports indicating successful demonstrations of its capabilities. The missile was publicly showcased during China’s National Day military parade on October 1, 2019, signaling its operational status. With its range, the DF-17 can target U.S. bases and assets in the Western Pacific, including those in South Korea and Japan.
Why Hypersonic Missiles Are a Threat to Aircraft Carriers?
Current U.S. carrier defense systems are either partially effective, have limited capacity, or are too slow to respond to hypersonics. Multiple simultaneous attacks can overwhelm defense systems. In confined or contested zones, e.g., the South China Sea, maneuvering room and response options are limited. Extreme speed, maneuverability, low-altitude trajectory, and multiple launch angles of hypersonic missiles add to the challenge of defending against them.
As of mid-2025, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), under the leadership of Secretary Pete Hegseth, has outlined a strategic shift focusing on revitalizing military capabilities, countering emerging threats, and enhancing homeland security. The key priorities include strategic focus on China and the Indo-Pacific, increased emphasis on homeland security and border defense, technological modernization and innovation, cybersecurity and digital warfare, defense budget realignment, and missile defense initiatives. The DoD is accelerating the integration of advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), autonomous systems, and hypersonic weapons. Initiatives like the Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) aim to connect sensors across all military branches into a unified network, enhancing real-time decision-making and operational effectiveness.
U.S.’s Strategic Responses
A comprehensive assessment of China’s military advancements and strategic objectives has been presented in The Pentagon’s 2024 Annual Report on Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China. In a significant policy shift, the Pentagon has designated the deterrence of a Chinese takeover of Taiwan as the U.S. military’s top strategic priority. The decision has reassured Taiwan amid increasing Chinese military intimidation. Hegseth has called on Indo-Pacific allies to increase their defense spending to up to 5% of their GDP and reaffirmed the U.S.’s commitment to regional security, describing the threat from China as “imminent.” In response to China’s expanding missile capabilities, including the development of new intercontinental ballistic missiles, the U.S. is investing in advanced missile defense systems. This includes the proposed $175-billion “Golden Dome,” a space-based missile defense initiative inspired by Israel’s Iron Dome, aiming to detect and destroy various foreign threats before they can reach the United States. While the Golden Dome is still in the planning stages, its development underscores the increasing importance of advanced missile defense systems in national security strategies.
The development of hypersonic weapons has raised concerns about a potential arms race, with adversaries perceiving these advancements as destabilizing. The proposed “Golden Dome” missile defense system has further intensified these concerns among nuclear-armed nations.