Milley says China's hypersonic weapons test was almost a "Sputnik moment"
© Patrick Semansky / AP Senate US Afghanistan
General Mark Milley, the nation's top military officer, called China's suspected test of a hypersonic weapons device "very concerning" and almost like a "Sputnik moment," amid developing tension a number of the U.S. and China.
Beijing is believed to have tested the weapons device withinside the path of the summer, but neither the Defense Department nor U.S. intelligence groups had formally noted China's suspected test of a hypersonic weapons device, so Milley's reputation and characterization of the suspected test is big.
Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the president's top military adviser, made the statement withinside the path of an interview with "The David Rubenstein Show: Peer-to-Peer Conversations" on Bloomberg Television.
"What we observed modified into a completely big event of a test of a hypersonic weapon device. And it's far very concerning," Milley said this week. "I do now no longer recognise if it's far quite a Sputnik moment, but I expect it's far very close to that. It has all of our attention."
Milley modified into referencing the Soviet Union's a achievement launch of the world's first artificial satellite tv for pc television for computer in 1957, an event that sparked the start of place exploration and the gap race a number of the U.S. and the Soviets.
"I've seen, of path, General Milleys' comments," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said withinside the path of Wednesday's press briefing. "I expect what he modified into conveying modified into the concern every person have about China's military modernization efforts. They keep to pursue talents that growth tensions withinside the region, and we keep to have troubles about that."
Hypersonic missiles adventure at least five times the fee of sound, and they may fly a bargain lower to the ground than conventional ballistic missiles. That makes them a bargain more difficult to trace, and therefore a bargain more difficult to stop. Retired Admiral James "Sandy" Winnefeld, a former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the apparent Chinese test demonstrates the capability of the Chinese to have a hypersonic weapon that might motive an entire lot of damage without us being able to do something about it."
A U.S. booster rocket carrying a hypersonic drift body did not launch very last week withinside the path of a test via the Defense Department's hypersonic weapons program. The Defense Department attributed the failure first-rate to the booster rocket, but, and now not to the hypersonic technology.
President Biden frequently refers to the competitive nature of the U.S. dating with China. He spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping for the number one time in seven months in September, to be able to keep channels of communication open a number of the 2 countries, just so they do now no longer unintentionally "veer into conflict."
But withinside the path of a CNN townhall very last week, Mr. Biden raised some eyebrows whilst he said the U.S. has a "commitment" to protect Taiwan if China attacks it. Xi said absolutely everyone advocating for Taiwan's independence should be "condemned to history." The White House emphasized the president modified into now not saying a latest insurance position, and the U.S. should stay guided via the The Taiwan Relations Act.