The People’s Republic of China and its People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has the capability to launch conventional intercontinental ballistic missiles that have enough range to strike targets in North America or Western Europe. The Dongfeng DF-31 is an intercontinental ballistic missile has been in service since at least the early 2000s, and has a range of upwards of 7,270 miles. It’s capable of being deployed via a mobile truck-based system.Hypersonic missiles are a relatively new weapons delivery system and can be deployed via a multi-stage “glide vehicle” system like the DF-27 where the warhead glides to the target after reaching hypersonic speeds. The United States is currently developing its own hypersonic weapon by the “Dark Eagle” moniker. Is the hypersonic missile a deterent or a threat ?

