This is John Batchelor, conversation with colleague Bill Gertz of the Washington Times National Security about hypersonic missiles developed by the People's Republic of China these last years.

Hypersonic missiles. Bill gives us a quick lesson in what it can do, why it's important, how it defeats air defenses, and where the United States is in

developing a counter to hypersonic missiles. Bill Goertz, Washington Times, National Security,

the People's Republic of China, and the hypersonic gap, more of this tomorrow during the week.

And what is it that they got?

Yeah, this is definitely a something that I've reported on going back for the last five years.

I was the first to report that they had tested a hypersonic missile.

Hypersonic speed is five times the speed of sound or greater. So that's approximately 7,500

miles per hour up, up to much faster. And the reason that this is significant is because

what it does, ballistic missiles go at hypersonic speeds, but they go into the, they go into space and then reenter the atmosphere.

These hypersonic missiles skim the upper atmosphere, where the temperatures caused by the friction of these high speeds,

create tremendous pressures on materials and guidance systems.

So it's very difficult technology to do.

The U.S. decided a long time ago they weren't going to pursue it, and then the Chinese

began developing these missiles because not only can they go this high speed, but they're

able to maneuver while they're doing that, and then that actually allows

them to evade missile defenses, because our sensors, our missile satellites sensors and other

sensors are unable to pick up these missiles. And if you can't see them, you won't be able to

counter them with missile defenses.

Gordon, have a question.