military, by comparison, has 400 active ICBM silos and 50 in reserve. Hans Kristensen, a nuclear weapons expert at the Federation of American Scientists, says China appears to have about 250 ICBM silos under construction, which he says is more than 10 times the number in operation today. On the nuclear front, private satellite imagery in recent months has revealed large additions of launch silos that suggest the possibility that China plans to increase its fleet of land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles, or ICBMs. They're expanding rapidly in space, in cyber and then in the traditional domains of land, sea and air." "The Chinese military capabilities are much greater than that. "That's just one weapon system," he said in a Bloomberg Television interview. ![]() He called it "very concerning" for the United States but added that problems posed by China's military modernization run far deeper. officials have declined to discuss details of the Chinese test, saying they are secret. What followed was a nuclear arms and space race that ultimately bankrupted the Soviet Union. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the test was "very close" to being a Sputnik moment, akin to the 1957 launching by the Soviet Union of the world's first space satellite, which caught the world by surprise and fed fears the United States had fallen behind technologically. missile defenses, and although Beijing insisted it was testing a reusable space vehicle, not a missile, the test appeared to have startled U.S. The weapon system's design is meant to evade U.S. The latest example of surprising speed was China's test of a hypersonic weapon capable of partially orbiting Earth before reentering the atmosphere and gliding on a maneuverable path to its target. ![]() New signs of how the Pentagon intends to deal with the China challenge may emerge in coming weeks from Biden administration policy reviews on nuclear weapons, global troop basing and overall defense strategy.įor now, officials marvel at how Beijing is marshaling the resources, technology and political will to make rapid gains - so rapid that the Biden administration is attempting to reorient all aspects of U.S. nuclear forces and oversaw Air Force space operations.Īt stake is a potential shift in the global balance of power that has favored the United States for decades.Ī realignment more favorable to China does not pose a direct threat to the United States but could complicate U.S. military officer, who previously commanded U.S. "The pace at which China is moving is stunning," says Gen. defence establishment.Īmerican officials see trouble quickly accumulating on multiple fronts - Beijing's expanding nuclear arsenal, its advances in space, cyber and missile technologies, and threats to Taiwan. China's growing military muscle and its drive to end American predominance in the Asia-Pacific is rattling the U.S.
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