China is believed to have conducted a second test of a highly secretive weapon system the Pentagon has dubbed the Wu-14. A "hypersonic glide vehicle" (HGV) capable of speeds of up to 7,680 miles per hour, the Wu-14 could conceivably deliver a nuclear payload to nearly anywhere on the planet within an hour. 

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US military intelligence believes the test took place on August 7 at the Jiuquan satellite launch facility located in the western Gobi Desert in China's Inner Mongolia Province. The first test is thought to have occurred on January 9.

Photos of a crash site, purported to be consisting of the remains of the Wu-14 booster rockets, appeared on Chinese websites but were quickly removed. Officials in Beijing have not commented in any way with regard to the Wu-14, but the characters painted on the booster rockets are of the China Aerospace Corporation, which is known to be China's main missile producer. Booster rockets are considered a necessary part of the entire HGV system in order to get the Wu-14 aloft.

At a recent press conference, Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Jeffrey Pool said when asked about the test: "We routinely monitor foreign defense activities, however we don't comment on our intelligence or assessments of foreign weapons systems."

Hypersonic speeds, ranging from Mach 5 to Mach 10 (3,840 - 7,680 mph) are considered a holy grail in weapons and transportation systems. However, stress from such velocities has adverse impacts on guidance systems and the structural integrity of the vehicle, to say nothing of the booms they create. The United States, India, and Russia, along with China, are thought to be in various stages of HGV research and testing. 

The Wu-14 test suggests a new, high-speed arms race beginning in Asia. Current embroiled in maritime border conflicts with Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam, and the Philippines, China is facing charges of being a regional bully. Japan recently announced vast increases in military defense expenditure. 

Tagswu-14, long-range missile, hypersonic, HGV, hypersonic glide vehicle