What China's hypersonic weapons test means for the US

China scored a half-win this summer with its somewhat successful test of a hypersonic glide vehicle.

First reported by the Financial Times, the test took place in July or August. It involved a hypersonic, vehicle-laden, intercontinental ballistic missile traveling thousands of miles before the vehicle launched. The vehicle then operated successfully but missed its intended target by around 40 kilometers. China denies the test was military-related, instead claiming it focused on civilian space exploration. A foreign ministry spokesman suggested the test was of “great significance for reducing the cost of spacecraft use.”