Member-only story
Will China Launch a Pearl Harbor-Style Attack On The United States?
The flashpoints and the likelihood
For the first time in recent memory, the United States is at a technological disadvantage regarding the military. While other countries like Russia and China have made notable public advances in the realm of hypersonic missiles, the United States has faltered. This puts the United States at a distinct, and even unique, disadvantage. Since the eruption of the atomic bomb over Hiroshima in 1945, the world has been used to the United States possessing the latest and greatest military technologies. That is no longer the case.
The United States continues to struggle in an uncharacteristic manner when it comes to hypersonic missile technology. The Air Force recently admitted that advanced tests had failed and that they were going to pursue a new direction in hypersonic missile technology. This provides an opening for China that rarely presents itself and has raised the specter of another surprise attack in the same vein as Pearl Harbor.
Hypersonic Ship Killers
The crux of this idea hinges on the YJ-21 anti-ship missile. The YJ-21 is China’s newest hypersonic missile that can be mounted in verticle launch systems on destroyers and even carriers. These missiles travel at Mach 6 and have a…
