China’s DF-17 Hypersonic Missile Can Attack Navy Carriers at Mach 10
Should the People’s Republic of China’s DF-17 Hypersonic missile truly operate with the capacity to destroy aircraft carriers nearly 1,000 miles offshore with a maneuvering, precision-guided projectile able to travel at speeds up to Mach 10, there is a significant threat equation likely generating attention at the Pentagon.
DF-17 Missile: The Threat
China is known for its advanced hypersonic weapons and often writes in its government-backed newspapers about its carrier-killer anti-ship missiles, yet Mach 10 hypersonic speed and precision guidance present a different and more significant threat equation.
Building an anti-ship missile to travel at sustained hypersonic speeds certainly presents technological challenges. However, adding maneuverability and precision guidance not only requires more advanced engineering but presents a far more serious threat.