U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has raised alarms over China’s advanced hypersonic missile capabilities, asserting that they could potentially destroy all U.S. aircraft carriers within 20 minutes. This stark warning underscores growing concerns about the vulnerability of American naval assets in the face of rapidly advancing Chinese military technology.
Hegseth’s assessment is based on Pentagon simulations indicating that China’s hypersonic missiles, such as the DF-21D and DF-26, pose a significant threat to U.S. carriers due to their high speed and maneuverability, which challenge current U.S. air defense systems. These missiles are designed to target large surface vessels, complicating U.S. efforts to project power in critical regions like the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait.
The Secretary emphasized that China’s military advancements are not confined to the Indo-Pacific but extend to strategic global chokepoints, including the Panama Canal. He highlighted —“China is building an army specifically designed to destroy the United States… In every war game played by the Pentagon, the US loses to China.”
In response to these developments, Hegseth has called for urgent modernization of the U.S. military, focusing on enhancing missile defense systems and accelerating the development of American hypersonic technologies. He has also advocated for reallocating defense resources to address these emerging threats effectively.
The growing capabilities of China’s missile forces have sparked debates within the U.S. defense establishment regarding the future role of aircraft carriers and the need to adapt to evolving warfare technologies.
