Balloons Slow, Hypersonic Missiles Fast – What’s the Connection?

There’s something going on between China’s spy balloons and its hypersonic weapons.

Hypersonic missiles and aircraft have been part of the Defense Department’s technology and weapon systems development programs for decades, reflecting the abiding fascination with manned and unmanned aerial vehicles going faster than the speed of sound. Most recently, developing reliable hypersonic missiles became a priority for the US military when, in late summer 2021, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) successfully tested a hypersonic glide vehicle launched from an intercontinental ballistic missile. The test caught the US intelligence community by surprise.

In February 2023, Americans watched as a Chinese high-altitude spy balloon meandered its way across the northern United…