https://www.scmp.com/rss/513019/feed Hypersonic weapons, including missiles, travel at Mach 5 to Mach 25, about 1 to 5 miles per second (1.6 to 8 kilometres per second). The weapons drastically reduce the time for opposing forces to mount a defence, and can follow trajectories substantially different to traditional supersonic weapons, which makes them harder to intercept. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Reuters Reuters North Korea fired several ballistic missiles towards the sea off its east coast on Wednesday, South Korea’s military said, following a separate launch detected a day earlier as Pyongyang doused Seoul’s hopes of an easing in tensions. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the unidentified short-range missiles were launched at around 8.50am from near Wonsan on the North’s east coast. The missiles flew 240km (150 miles), the JCS ‌said, adding that South Korean and US authorities were... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3349336/north-korea-launches-fifth-missile-test-after-dousing-souths-reconciliation-hopes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3349336/north-korea-launches-fifth-missile-test-after-dousing-souths-reconciliation-hopes?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 05:46:07 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen There is little chance the US could bring China to the table on any nuclear arms control agreements in the short term, despite upcoming leaders’ meetings this year, experts said on Tuesday, as the Trump administration pushes for a trilateral deal including China after the previous US-Russia treaty expired last month. There is “no shortage of good ideas” for how the upcoming summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping could move the world towards ending a nuclear... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3347775/us-unlikely-get-china-join-new-nuclear-arms-control-agreement-say-experts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3347775/us-unlikely-get-china-join-new-nuclear-arms-control-agreement-say-experts?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 23:02:23 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg News of black rain falling on Tehran felt all too familiar to Nejat Rahmanian as he scrolled through alerts on social media feeds and tried to contact relatives on March 8. Israeli drone strikes hit giant oil depots and refineries on the outskirts of the Iranian capital a few hours earlier, setting fuel on fire and releasing columns of black smoke, which mixed with rain clouds that poured toxic chemicals onto the city later in the day. The descriptions reminded the Iranian researcher of a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346662/black-rain-iran-wars-toxic-pollution-will-spread-and-last-decades?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346662/black-rain-iran-wars-toxic-pollution-will-spread-and-last-decades?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Mar 2026 10:25:31 +0000 Liu Zhen Liu Zhen Just days ahead of the US-Israeli air strikes on Iran, a news report suggested that Beijing was close to selling supersonic cruise missiles to Tehran – a move that could significantly boost the Islamic Republic’s capacity to counter US aircraft carriers. Before the world could work out whether game-changing Chinese missiles really would feature in an Iranian conflict against US forces, Beijing firmly denied the report, published by Reuters on February 24. Citing six sources, Reuters reported... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3346026/what-if-iran-really-did-buy-export-variant-chinas-yj-12-supersonic-missile?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3346026/what-if-iran-really-did-buy-export-variant-chinas-yj-12-supersonic-missile?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 04:00:08 +0000 dpa dpa More United States bombers have landed in Britain after a week of strikes on Iran by the US and Israel. A first 146ft B-1 Lancer arrived at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire on Friday evening and three more followed on Saturday morning. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has granted permission for “defensive” US action against Iranian missile sites from UK bases. The huge plane, capable of carrying 24 cruise missiles, weighs 86 metric tons and is the fastest bomber in the US Air Force, according... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3345834/4-us-bombers-land-uk-iran-war-continues?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3345834/4-us-bombers-land-uk-iran-war-continues?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2026 14:43:24 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Reports that Washington could redirect some US military assets from South Korea to the Middle East have stirred unease in Seoul, reviving concerns that a crisis elsewhere could compromise deterrence on the Korean peninsula. Analysts said a redeployment of missile-defence systems could leave South Korea feeling vulnerable to North Korean “adventurism” and signal Washington’s “shifting priorities and lack of seriousness” towards its Indo-Pacific allies. Citing a South Korean government official,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345678/south-korea-uneasy-us-weighs-moving-air-defences-middle-east?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345678/south-korea-uneasy-us-weighs-moving-air-defences-middle-east?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Mar 2026 05:37:06 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspected a newly built destroyer and oversaw a test launch of what state media called a “strategic cruise missile” this week, casting the navy’s build-up as a key part of Pyongyang’s evolving nuclear deterrent, analysts said. The two-day inspection of the 5,000-tonne destroyer Choe Hyon came as North Korea was closely watching recent US military strikes on Iran and ahead of US-South Korea joint exercises set to begin on March 9. Kim hailed the warship as a “new... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345526/kim-tests-missile-new-destroyer-north-korea-draws-lessons-iran-conflict?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345526/kim-tests-missile-new-destroyer-north-korea-draws-lessons-iran-conflict?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 05:56:25 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen Washington will keep pushing China to join a trilateral nuclear control deal with the US and Russia, but can’t compel it to do so, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, citing “strategic stability” in China-US relations ahead of US President Donald Trump’s visit to China in April, despite long-term “irritants”. “We think ultimately, in the 21st century, for there to be a true arms control agreement, it has to involve China,” Rubio said during a press conference at a meeting of the Caribbean... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344790/new-nuclear-control-agreement-should-include-us-russia-and-china-rubio?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344790/new-nuclear-control-agreement-should-include-us-russia-and-china-rubio?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Feb 2026 20:37:52 +0000 Liu Zhen Liu Zhen With the unveiling of the long-range hypersonic CJ-1000 missiles, China has surpassed the United States in the critical race to field practical scramjet propulsion systems, according to a mainland military magazine. Alongside the ship-launched YJ-19, the CJ-1000 road-mobile cruise missile was one of two hypersonic missiles powered by advanced air-breathing scramjet engines on show during the Victory Day military parade in Beijing in September last year. They are the world’s only two operational... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3343917/how-china-overtook-us-hypersonic-arms-and-may-leave-air-defences-powerless?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3343917/how-china-overtook-us-hypersonic-arms-and-may-leave-air-defences-powerless?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Feb 2026 22:00:35 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen A senior state department official said that the US would resume nuclear tests to match “opaque” Chinese activity, flagging new details about a 2020 test the US recently accused China of secretly conducting, as US President Donald Trump seeks a new trilateral nuclear control deal with China and Russia. “As the president has said, the United States will return to testing on an ‘equal basis’,” Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Arms Control and Nonproliferation Christopher Yeaw said on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3343858/us-offers-more-details-claim-china-conducted-secret-nuclear-weapons-test?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3343858/us-offers-more-details-claim-china-conducted-secret-nuclear-weapons-test?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Feb 2026 00:16:37 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier Combine three wary nations, deep historical mistrust, rapid technological change, the most destructive weapons ever developed and a US unwilling to extend Thursday’s last formal nuclear weapons guardrail, and you have the ingredients for much worse geopolitical tension, if not a slide towards global disaster, warn nuclear weapons negotiators, analysts and former government officials. While Moscow has offered to formally extend its New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New Start) with the US for... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342576/trump-balks-nuclear-limit-extension-calls-new-us-china-russia-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342576/trump-balks-nuclear-limit-extension-calls-new-us-china-russia-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Feb 2026 00:02:50 +0000 Amber Wang Amber Wang China on Tuesday urged the United States to “respond positively” to Russia’s offer to maintain nuclear warhead limits ahead of Thursday’s expected collapse of a major US-Russia agreement to control nuclear build-up. Beijing also reiterated its refusal to join trilateral nuclear disarmament negotiations with Washington and Moscow, despite repeated calls for such talks by US President Donald Trump. China cited the disparity in nuclear stockpile sizes as the reason for its refusal. Absent a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3342278/why-collapse-last-us-russia-nuclear-treaty-matters-china-and-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3342278/why-collapse-last-us-russia-nuclear-treaty-matters-china-and-world?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Feb 2026 13:41:16 +0000 Reuters Reuters Russia fired a powerful hypersonic missile at Ukraine near the EU border overnight, in what ‌Kyiv called a new threat to European security that demanded a global response. Moscow said it had fired the Oreshnik missile in response ‍to what it has described as an attempted drone attack on one of President Vladimir Putin’s residences last month, which Ukraine has denied and the United States has said did not happen. It was only the second time Russia has fired the Oreshnik at Ukraine, and came amid... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3339327/russia-says-it-fired-new-oreshnik-hypersonic-missile-strike-against-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3339327/russia-says-it-fired-new-oreshnik-hypersonic-missile-strike-against-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Jan 2026 08:34:45 +0000 Liu Zhen Liu Zhen China has signalled that its YJ-20 hypersonic ship-to-ship missile is ready for mass production with the release of a video showing the advanced weapon being put through its “finalisation test”. The footage of the YJ-20 being fired from the vertical launch system (VLS) of the Type 055 destroyer Wuxi was posted to social media on Sunday by China Military Bugle, the official People’s Liberation Army account. “Missile hit. Target destroyed,” the crew can be heard saying over the radio, though... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3338185/chinas-carrier-killer-hypersonic-anti-ship-missile-yj-20-final-testing-video?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3338185/chinas-carrier-killer-hypersonic-anti-ship-missile-yj-20-final-testing-video?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Dec 2025 14:00:13 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong North Korea’s move to publicly reveal the full hull and displacement of its first nuclear-powered submarine under construction appears to be a strategic counter to bids by the US and South Korea to expand their undersea capabilities. North Korea’s state media on Thursday released images of leader Kim Jong-un inspecting a “nuclear-powered strategic guided missile submarine” being built at an undisclosed location. Kim was accompanied by his wife Ri Sol-ju and daughter Kim Ju-ae, believed to be... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3337712/north-koreas-new-nuclear-sub-reveal-bid-counter-us-south-korean-naval-power?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3337712/north-koreas-new-nuclear-sub-reveal-bid-counter-us-south-korean-naval-power?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Dec 2025 00:00:13 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Belarus’ authoritarian president said on Thursday that Russia had deployed its latest nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile system to the country, a move that comes as talks to end the war in Ukraine have entered a crucial phase. President Alexander Lukashenko said the Oreshnik, an intermediate-range ballistic missile system, arrived in the country on Wednesday and is entering combat duty. He did not say how many missiles have been deployed or give any other details. Russian President Vladimir Putin... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3336972/russia-deploys-nuclear-capable-oreshnik-missile-belarus-amid-ukraine-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3336972/russia-deploys-nuclear-capable-oreshnik-missile-belarus-amid-ukraine-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Dec 2025 19:57:32 +0000 Shi Huang Shi Huang Scientists from Northwest A&F University in China have developed an innovative technology to extract and collect boron from seawater. Boron is a lightweight element used as solid fuel in scramjet engines on some advanced Chinese hypersonic weapons. Neodymium-iron-boron rare earth magnets – used extensively in industrial and military applications – have drawn particular attention amid ongoing trade tensions over critical minerals. These high-performance rare-earth magnets not only rely on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3335618/chinese-scientists-report-way-extract-hypersonic-weapon-fuel-boron-seawater?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3335618/chinese-scientists-report-way-extract-hypersonic-weapon-fuel-boron-seawater?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Dec 2025 14:00:12 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong Chinese aerospace firm Lingkong Tianxing unveiled a hypersonic glide missile last week that has a range of up to 1,300 km (800 miles) and a top speed of Mach 7. The YKJ-1000 has been nicknamed the “cement-coated” missile for its use of civilian-grade materials such as foamed concrete in its heat-resistant coating. According to slides widely circulated online, the unit production cost of this missile, already in mass production after successful combat trials, may be as low as 700,000 yuan (around... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3334933/chinas-dirt-cheap-hypersonic-missiles-could-upend-global-defence-markets-state-media?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3334933/chinas-dirt-cheap-hypersonic-missiles-could-upend-global-defence-markets-state-media?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Dec 2025 14:00:09 +0000 Reuters Reuters Italy’s defence and aerospace group Leonardo on Thursday presented plans for a new multilayered air defence system, as European countries stepped up military capabilities to bolster defences against Russia and other threats. The “Michelangelo Dome” is an integrated defence system that uses artificial intelligence to neutralise a range of threats, from hypersonic weapons to drone swarms and naval attacks, in a bid to strengthen its role in European multi-domain security. Named for the Renaissance... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3334431/italys-leonardo-unveils-michelangelo-dome-defence-system-europe-eyes-russia-threat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3334431/italys-leonardo-unveils-michelangelo-dome-defence-system-europe-eyes-russia-threat?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Nov 2025 21:08:23 +0000 Sylvie Zhuang Sylvie Zhuang China will not seek a nuclear arms race and opposes the United States’ deployment of offensive missiles in Asia, according to Beijing’s latest white paper on nuclear policy. The paper – titled “China’s Arms Control, Disarmament and Non-Proliferation in the New Era” – updates the previous 2005 version of the document. In the white paper released on Thursday, Beijing said it had consistently kept its nuclear forces at the minimum level required for national security. Beijing has long underscored... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3334403/china-has-minimal-nuclear-arsenal-seeks-no-arms-race-us-white-paper?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3334403/china-has-minimal-nuclear-arsenal-seeks-no-arms-race-us-white-paper?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Nov 2025 14:00:11 +0000 Dan Plesch,Manuel Galileo Dan Plesch,Manuel Galileo In nuclear war, the long-held assumption of mutual assured destruction no longer exists. Welcome to the age of permanent strategic instability, where superpowers mix fast and accurate nuclear and non-nuclear missiles in the same arsenal. The risk of war is greater than many realise. The scale of catastrophe is also significant. A potential nuclear winter is estimated to amount to billions of deaths from starvation after years of global crop failures. Such risks and consequences are disastrously... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3334240/why-advances-conventional-weapons-tech-should-worry-china-russia-and-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3334240/why-advances-conventional-weapons-tech-should-worry-china-russia-and-us?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Nov 2025 12:30:15 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong A private Chinese aerospace company has become the first in the world to start mass production of a low-cost, high-performance hypersonic missile, suggesting a seismic shift in military technology and defence industrial dynamics. On Tuesday, Beijing-based Lingkong Tianxing Technology released a video on its official social media account showcasing the YKJ-1000 hypersonic missile in flight and how it struck a real target in a desert testing range. A company representative said the missile was... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3334140/90-cost-cut-chinese-civilian-firm-enters-mass-production-mach-7-hypersonic-missiles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3334140/90-cost-cut-chinese-civilian-firm-enters-mass-production-mach-7-hypersonic-missiles?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Nov 2025 14:08:53 +0000 Reuters Reuters Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said it had foiled a plot by Ukrainian and British spies to tempt Russian pilots to steal a MiG-31 jet armed with a Kinzhal hypersonic missile for US$3 million, state media reported on Tuesday. The RIA news agency cited the FSB as saying that the hijacked jet was to be flown toward a Nato airbase in the Romanian city of Constanta, where it could have been shot down by air defences, the agency reported. The FSB, the main successor to the Soviet-era KGB,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3332321/russia-says-foiled-spy-plot-steal-mig-31-jet-armed-hypersonic-missile?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3332321/russia-says-foiled-spy-plot-steal-mig-31-jet-armed-hypersonic-missile?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Nov 2025 07:51:19 +0000 Stephen Chen Stephen Chen Chinese military scientists have unveiled a rare glimpse into one of the most advanced frontiers of aerospace technology: a prototype of a morphing hypersonic vehicle capable of flying at speeds exceeding Mach 5. The missile, revealed in a published peer-reviewed paper, features a pair of retractable wings – a groundbreaking design that allows it to dynamically adapt its aerodynamic profile mid-flight. When stowed inside the fuselage, the wings minimise drag for high-speed cruising. When... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3330973/pla-team-releases-photo-hypersonic-morphing-missile-can-change-shape-mach-5?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3330973/pla-team-releases-photo-hypersonic-morphing-missile-can-change-shape-mach-5?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Oct 2025 15:00:07 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong Mere hours before US President Donald Trump arrived in South Korea for this week’s Apec summit, Pyongyang launched a salvo of ship-based cruise missiles in an act analysts viewed as a calculated bid to reinforce its nuclear credentials. The missiles, described by North Korean state media as enhanced models optimised for ship-based launches, were fired vertically on Tuesday, reportedly soaring for about 7,800 seconds – more than two hours – before striking their land-based target. Pyongyang... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3330722/north-korea-welcomes-trump-apec-nuclear-capable-fire-arrow-missile-test?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3330722/north-korea-welcomes-trump-apec-nuclear-capable-fire-arrow-missile-test?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Oct 2025 04:02:50 +0000 Reuters Reuters Russia has successfully tested its nuclear-powered Burevestnik cruise missile, a nuclear-capable weapon Moscow says can evade any defence system, and will move towards deploying the weapon, President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday. Russia’s top general, Valery Gerasimov, chief of the general staff of Russia’s armed forces, told Putin that the missile travelled 14,000 km (8,700 miles) and was in the air for about 15 hours when it was tested on October 21. Russia says the 9M730 Burevestnik (Storm... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3330366/putin-russias-new-nuclear-powered-missile-can-evade-any-defence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3330366/putin-russias-new-nuclear-powered-missile-can-evade-any-defence?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Oct 2025 09:15:32 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi The Philippines is reportedly looking to acquire an anti-ship ballistic missile developed by South Korean defence giant Hanwha Aerospace. Analysts said such a move would indicate Seoul’s lean towards Washington’s Indo-Pacific policies and possible rising profile in regional defence cooperation with fellow US allies. The Philippines’ potential purchase of the South Korean system arises at a time when China imposed sanctions on the Korean shipbuilding sector. According to a report on Monday by the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3329106/south-korean-defence-giant-hit-chinese-sanctions-offers-anti-ship-missile-manila?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3329106/south-korean-defence-giant-hit-chinese-sanctions-offers-anti-ship-missile-manila?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Oct 2025 09:00:09 +0000 Holly Chik Holly Chik Chinese state media has revealed for the first time how Peking University – one of the country’s most prestigious institutions – has contributed to China’s hypersonic weapons development. A key figure in the university’s work in the field is Huang Lin, a professor with the department of mechanics and engineering science who has been researching hypersonic vehicles for the past two decades and played a key role in the successful first flight test of China’s hypersonic weapons, according to a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3328999/how-peking-university-fuelling-chinas-hypersonic-weapons-push?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3328999/how-peking-university-fuelling-chinas-hypersonic-weapons-push?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Oct 2025 15:00:09 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong North Korea has rolled out what it calls “the most powerful nuclear strategic weapon”, showcasing its new Hwasong-20 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), according to Pyongyang’s state media on Saturday. At a massive military parade featuring the new solid-fuel missile and other weapons, leader Kim Jong-un declared that sovereignty could be secured only through military might. “Our army should continue to grow into an invincible entity that destroys all threats … by dint of its political,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3328614/north-korea-unveils-most-powerful-nuclear-strategic-weapon-capable-reaching-all-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3328614/north-korea-unveils-most-powerful-nuclear-strategic-weapon-capable-reaching-all-us?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Oct 2025 00:28:00 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong North Korea is expected to showcase a new generation of strategic missiles and advanced weapons systems at a massive military parade this week, in what observers say is an attempt to project its growing ability to strike US and South Korean targets. Analysts predict that the parade will centre on a new solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile and a series of hypersonic weapons designed to threaten US naval forces in the region. The new ICBM, which reportedly has a high-thrust solid-fuel... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3327973/north-korea-set-flaunt-its-growing-arsenal-massive-military-parade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3327973/north-korea-set-flaunt-its-growing-arsenal-massive-military-parade?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Oct 2025 04:54:06 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang A Chinese military magazine has shed light on the mysterious laser weapon unveiled at the country’s Victory Day parade in Beijing this month, and argues that its output exceeds that of its American counterparts. According to Ordnance Industry Science Technology, a Chinese military journal, the Liaoyuan-1 (LY-1) shipborne laser weapon displayed in the military parade on September 3 will be tasked with “close-range interception of incoming missiles and drones”, serving as the “last line of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3327271/last-line-defence-military-journal-sheds-light-chinas-new-ly-1-shipborne-laser-weapon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3327271/last-line-defence-military-journal-sheds-light-chinas-new-ly-1-shipborne-laser-weapon?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Sep 2025 14:00:10 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi The end of this month’s military parade in Beijing – a time slot traditionally reserved for the People’s Liberation Army’s most lethal nuclear weapon – was marked by a formation of DF-5C missiles, the latest variant of China’s first-ever long-range intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) DF-5 series. The PLA’s other latest ICBM systems include the DF-61 and DF-31BJ, as well as the DF-41 – known to be China’s latest ICBM version in service. The DF-61 and DF-31BJ were also first unveiled in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3327013/chinas-df-5c-nuclear-icbm-east-wind-counterforce-weapon-global-strike?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3327013/chinas-df-5c-nuclear-icbm-east-wind-counterforce-weapon-global-strike?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Sep 2025 14:00:11 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi The first deployment of the US Typhon missile system in Japan is designed to “complicate” China’s military planning and may prompt it to improve its counterstrike systems, according to defence analysts. On Monday, the US military showcased the weapons system at a marine base in Iwakuni in the southwest of Honshu ahead of the annual two-week Resolute Dragon field training exercise. The joint drills involve around 20,000 Japanese and US troops along with other warships and missile... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3326153/how-us-typhons-deployment-japan-could-prompt-china-boost-counterstrike-systems?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3326153/how-us-typhons-deployment-japan-could-prompt-china-boost-counterstrike-systems?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Sep 2025 22:00:09 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Russian forces bombarded the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia with rockets overnight, killing a man, injuring at least 18 and triggering a number of fires, officials said on Tuesday, as President Volodymyr Zelensky urged European leaders to make the continent safe by building an ambitious air defence umbrella. With the war grinding on since Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbour began in February 2022, there has been no let-up in strikes on civilian areas of Ukraine and Moscow’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3325748/zelensky-urges-european-air-defence-system-amid-thousands-russian-drones-bombs-missiles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3325748/zelensky-urges-european-air-defence-system-amid-thousands-russian-drones-bombs-missiles?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Sep 2025 10:53:26 +0000 Phoebe Zhang,Alcott Wei Phoebe Zhang,Alcott Wei A week has passed since China held its Victory Day parade but fans have kept up the national pride momentum by buying missile toys and creating trend videos. Toymakers across Taobao, the country’s biggest e-commerce site, are busy making plush toy versions of the DF-61 and DF-5C domestically made intercontinental ballistic missiles that were unveiled in the September 3 parade. In one shop, a pillow replica of the DF-5C comes in green, brown and white, and in three sizes up to 160cm (61 inches).... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3325309/want-relive-chinese-military-parade-try-cuddly-missile-plushie?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3325309/want-relive-chinese-military-parade-try-cuddly-missile-plushie?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Sep 2025 08:00:13 +0000 Enoch Wong Enoch Wong State broadcaster CCTV has hinted that the Victory Day parade in Beijing this week could feature improved versions of two of its hypersonic missiles, the YJ-21 and DF-17, both with enhanced penetration capabilities. China is set to hold a large-scale military parade on Wednesday to mark the 80th anniversary of victory in World War II, and new weaponry is expected to be showcased. One anticipated highlight is the air-launched variant of the YJ-21, originally a sea-based hypersonic missile. In a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3323962/chinese-state-media-hints-new-variants-hypersonic-missile-parade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3323962/chinese-state-media-hints-new-variants-hypersonic-missile-parade?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Sep 2025 01:00:13 +0000 Nigel Li Nigel Li War is just one press of a button away, and the likelihood of that happening – even if accidental – is not insignificant. The advancement of ballistic missile capabilities has opened up new battle spaces. Just as during the Cold War, today’s adversaries can hold each other’s populations hostage under the threat of nuclear war. As we mark 80 years since the second world war ended, it is becoming easier to fathom our world at war again. However, while it may be true the “long peace” was more an... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3323706/multipolar-arms-race-takes-ballistic-missile-threat-new-levels?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3323706/multipolar-arms-race-takes-ballistic-missile-threat-new-levels?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 31 Aug 2025 12:30:08 +0000 Enoch Wong Enoch Wong China has released rare footage of its mysterious DF-100 supersonic cruise missile in action, shedding new light on the specifications and mobility of the model believed to be a major deterrent for US warships and military bases in the region. The blurred footage marked one of only a few public appearances the missile has made since its 2019 debut. In previous appearances, the missile has been obscured on its launch vehicle, making it difficult to analyse the technical specifications and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3321469/china-releases-rare-footage-df-100-cruise-missile-deter-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3321469/china-releases-rare-footage-df-100-cruise-missile-deter-us?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Aug 2025 15:00:08 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang The US appears to be strengthening its allied deterrence against China by deploying its Dark Eagle hypersonic missile, a move that could “further intensify” regional rivalry, Chinese experts have warned. The United States Army Pacific, a service component for America’s Indo-Pacific Command, confirmed on the weekend that it had deployed a Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) system – commonly referred to as Dark Eagle – to Australia’s Northern Territory as part of the three-week Talisman Sabre... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3320992/us-debuts-dark-eagle-hypersonic-australia-china-mind?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3320992/us-debuts-dark-eagle-hypersonic-australia-china-mind?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Aug 2025 01:30:12 +0000 Zohaib Altaf Zohaib Altaf On July 21, reports confirmed that militant groups in Pakistan have begun using small quadcopter drones to target security forces. While this may appear to be a mere tactical shift, it reflects a deeper and more alarming transformation in South Asia’s strategic arena. The growing convergence of non-state actors, emerging technologies and external enablers is eroding traditional conflict thresholds and obscuring accountability. Drawing lessons from the Russia-Ukraine and Iran-Israel conflicts,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3320101/drone-use-signals-india-and-pakistan-need-new-norms-engagement?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3320101/drone-use-signals-india-and-pakistan-need-new-norms-engagement?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 Aug 2025 12:30:08 +0000 Stephen Chen Stephen Chen Chinese aerospace engineers have a revolutionary software design that they say will allow them to overcome a major barrier to stealth aircraft development. The new platform allows plane designers to have as many design variables as they want without increasing computing load – a feat long deemed impossible in aviation circles. The researchers described their innovation as breaking the “dimensionality curse” and used the US Navy’s X-47B, a demonstration stealth drone, to illustrate how the system... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3319249/chinese-scientists-break-design-curse-killed-us-navys-x-47b-drone-programme?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3319249/chinese-scientists-break-design-curse-killed-us-navys-x-47b-drone-programme?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Jul 2025 13:00:09 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong A Chinese university has successfully flown its Feitian 2 hypersonic vehicle at a site in northwestern China, according to an announcement on the Northwestern Polytechnical University (NPU) website on Monday. The research team said the test represented the first successful acquisition of real-flight data for a rocket-based combined cycle (RBCC) engine using a kerosene-hydrogen peroxide propellant. The university’s statement said the test flight proved key capabilities, including... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3315819/chinas-feitian-2-hypersonic-vehicle-shows-critical-capabilities-test-flight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3315819/chinas-feitian-2-hypersonic-vehicle-shows-critical-capabilities-test-flight?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Jun 2025 14:00:09 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Iran is boasting that it has hypersonic missiles and says it already has begun firing the cutting-edge weapons at Israel. There is no evidence that Iran has unleashed the missiles, and experts are sceptical of the claim. But the use of these fast-moving projectiles could test Israel’s vaunted missile-defence system and alter the course of the fighting between the two bitter enemies. Here is a closer look at these advanced weapons. What is a hypersonic missile? Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3314979/hypersonic-missiles-are-stirring-fears-iran-israel-conflict-heres-why?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3314979/hypersonic-missiles-are-stirring-fears-iran-israel-conflict-heres-why?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Jun 2025 18:55:05 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse France on Monday blocked access to the stands of five Israeli arms manufacturers at the Paris Air show for displaying “offensive weapons”, according to a French government source. A black wall blocked off stands run by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), Rafael, Uvision, Elbit and Aeronautics for showing “offensive weapons”, including those used in Gaza, which allegedly violated terms made with Israel, said the source. Rafael, Elbit and IAI produce guided bombs and missiles, while Uvision and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3314630/france-blocks-access-israel-arms-stands-paris-air-show?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3314630/france-blocks-access-israel-arms-stands-paris-air-show?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Jun 2025 11:01:28 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The United Kingdom will build new nuclear-powered attack submarines, get its army ready to fight a war in Europe and become “a battle-ready, armour-clad nation”, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday, part of a boost to military spending designed to send a message to Moscow – and Washington. Starmer said Britain “cannot ignore the threat that Russia poses” as he pledged to undertake the most sweeping changes to British defences since the collapse of the Soviet Union more than three decades... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3312756/message-moscow-uk-boosts-military-spending-amid-threat-russia-trumps-expectations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3312756/message-moscow-uk-boosts-military-spending-amid-threat-russia-trumps-expectations?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Jun 2025 09:46:42 +0000 Enoch Wong Enoch Wong China’s most powerful destroyer can now strike beyond visual-range targets with pinpoint precision by linking to an airborne early warning system – the same technology used by the Pakistan Air Force in the recent Kashmir conflict – according to state broadcaster CCTV. On Sunday, CCTV confirmed for the first time that the Type 055 stealth guided-missile destroyer Lhasa could use data links to synchronise with People’s Liberation Army’s airborne early warning platforms, enabling it to conduct... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3312177/china-extends-strike-range-type-055-destroyer-airborne-early-warning-system-cctv?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3312177/china-extends-strike-range-type-055-destroyer-airborne-early-warning-system-cctv?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 May 2025 02:00:10 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Wednesday during a visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that Berlin will help Kyiv develop new long-range weapons that can hit targets well inside Russian territory. Both countries’ defence ministers later signed a memorandum of understanding for the production of long-range weapons systems, but without revealing technical details or naming the manufacturers involved. “There will be no range restrictions, allowing Ukraine to fully defend... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3312178/germany-ukraine-jointly-produce-long-range-weapons?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3312178/germany-ukraine-jointly-produce-long-range-weapons?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 May 2025 13:49:42 +0000 David Dodwell David Dodwell US president Franklin D. Roosevelt, at the end of 1940 in one of his famous “fireside chats”, first coined the idea of the US as the “arsenal of democracy”. Congress might have been unwilling to directly join the war in Europe but it could certainly be persuaded to sell the military equipment its allies needed. Since then, the United States has not only retained its formidable military dominance but also eagerly exports its arms, as a source of valuable export earnings and means of subsidising... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3311426/us-economys-heavy-dependence-arms-sales-should-worry-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3311426/us-economys-heavy-dependence-arms-sales-should-worry-world?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 May 2025 12:30:09 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim US plans to build a new missile defence system would raise the risk of an arms race and could “turn outer space into a battlefield”, Beijing has warned, describing Washington as being “obsessed with pursuing absolute security”. Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said the “Golden Dome” missile defence system proposed by US President Donald Trump would entail a “significant increase in outer space combat means”, including research and development and the deployment of orbital... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3311247/trumps-golden-dome-shows-us-obsessed-absolute-security-china-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3311247/trumps-golden-dome-shows-us-obsessed-absolute-security-china-says?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 May 2025 11:11:53 +0000 Sahar Khan,Usama Nizamani Sahar Khan,Usama Nizamani After days of intense hostilities, India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire, with US President Donald Trump claiming credit for the still-fragile agreement to halt military action along The Line of Control that divides Indian- and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. The latest episode began on April 22, when a terrorist attack killed 26 civilians in Indian-administered Pahalgam, prompting New Delhi to announce Operation Sindoor on May 6 to target terrorist camps in Pakistani territory. Pakistan,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3310688/rapid-escalation-india-pakistan-clashes-warning-new-tech-dangers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3310688/rapid-escalation-india-pakistan-clashes-warning-new-tech-dangers?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 May 2025 21:30:07 +0000