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Fifth force: is China adding hypersonic ‘near-space command’ to its military for ‘precise and merciless’ attacks?

  • Believed to be the first in the world, the new branch reports to high levels of the PLA, paper shows
  • Researchers said the hotly contested zone at the edge of space could determine the outcome of future battles

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The DF-17 can be mounted on a hypersonic glide vehicle. Photo: Weibo
Stephen Chenin Beijing
In what is believed to be a world first, China has established a near-space command equipped with a professional hypersonic weapons force that reports directly to the highest level of the military, according to a recently published paper.

The new force joins the People’s Liberation Army’s army, air force, navy and rocket branches.

“The near-space combat force is in the process of rapid development. The establishment of relevant units is not yet mature, and combat operations have not been standardised. The understanding of near-space combat command needs to be deepened,” said the researchers from the National University of Defence Technology.

“It is necessary to adjust the hierarchy of command and control powers, selection of command methods, implementation of executive orders and support for command communication.”

When the force was established remains unclear and the South China Morning Post cannot independently verify these claims.

In a paper submitted to the 11th China Command and Control Conference in October and now available publicly on major Chinese academic databases, the team said near-space had become a hotly contested zone that could “determine the outcome of future battles”.

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