China’s Hypersonic Missile Test Could Spur a Regional Arms Race

In a move that many observers have likened to the opening scene of a techno-thriller or science fiction novel, China reportedly tested an advanced hypersonic missile in August. Technically known as a Gliding Fractional Orbital Bombardment System, or G-FOBS, the weapon is said to have missed its target by about two dozen miles, according to the Financial Times. It nonetheless represents a significant advance in China’s capabilities and could negatively affect regional stability by spurring an arms race in the Asia-Pacific.

The purpose of FOBS is to place a large payload—usually a nuclear warhead—into a low-Earth orbit, allowing it to then attack targets from space. The Chinese test apparently took U.S. intelligence agencies by surprise. Some commentators have even referred to it as a “Sputnik moment” for Washington