In Just 20 Minutes, Chinese Hypersonic Missiles Could Destroy All U.S. Carriers, So the ...

When the USS Gerald R. Ford deployed in October 2022, it represented the pinnacle of U.S. naval engineering. Costing $13.3 billion, towering nine stories above the waterline and spanning a five-acre flight deck, the carrier can host four squadrons of fighter jets. It is the largest and most expensive warship ever built.

Yet even as it entered service, questions surfaced about survivability. According to a December 2024 report from the U.S. Department of Defense, China now fields “the world’s leading hypersonic missile arsenal,” a capability tailored to target high-value naval assets such as aircraft carriers.

In November 2024, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth stated in an interview that China’s missile forces “can take out our 10 aircraft carriers in the first 20 minutes of a conflict” if Beijing launches an amphibious assault on Taiwan, an operation experts expect could occur by 2027. He added that China is building an army “specifically designed to destroy the U.S.”

A Missile Designed to Outmaneuver Defenses

Central to the concern is the DF-17, a medium-range hypersonic missile reportedly capable of reaching Mach 10 and striking targets more than 1,500 miles away. Unlike traditional ballistic missiles that follow predictable arcs, the DF-17 remains maneuverable as it reenters the atmosphere, allowing it to shift direction mid-flight.

DF-17 Chinese Missile. – © Creative Commons

That maneuverability complicates interception. A single successful anti-ship missile strike could disable or destroy a carrier, turning a floating air base into a liability. The Gerald R. Ford, despite its advanced systems and ability to support roughly two dozen emerging technologies, presents a large and visible target in contested waters.

Lasers as a Cost-Effective Countermeasure

To address this vulnerability, the Pentagon has prioritized naval laser weapons capable of firing at the speed of light. The concept is simple: instead of launching multimillion-dollar interceptor missiles, ships would direct concentrated energy beams at incoming threats.

According to estimates from the Congressional Research Service, firing a high-powered laser could cost between $1 and $10 per shot, compared with $1 million to $10 million for a defensive missile. Lasers also offer what is often described as a nearly limitless magazine, since they can fire as long as sufficient electrical power is available.

Aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford – © Shutterstock

The Gerald R. Ford’s A1B nuclear reactors could, in theory, provide the energy needed to support such systems. A sufficiently powerful laser could fire thousands or tens of thousands of times, tracking and engaging maneuvering targets with precision.

Testing, setbacks and the path to megawatt power

The Navy has been experimenting with laser weapons for more than a decade. In 2014, it conducted sea trials with the 33-kilowatt AN/SEQ-3 Laser Weapon System aboard the USS Ponce. During tests, the system destroyed a small inflatable speedboat fitted with replica cannons and later shot down a drone launched from a nearby vessel. Operational challenges prevented the system from entering mass production.

Five years later, a 150-kilowatt Laser Weapons System Demonstrator was installed on the USS Portland. In sea trials, the laser successfully engaged a static training target. The system was removed in 2023, and the Navy did not request additional funding.

In August 2022, the service installed HELIOS, High-Energy Laser with Integrated Optical Dazzler and Surveillance, on the destroyer Preble. Developed by Lockheed Martin, the 60-kilowatt system integrates with the ship’s AEGIS radar and combat system and could eventually scale to 150 kilowatts for use against drones and small boats. According to a January 2024 report from the Office of the Director, Operational Test and Evaluation, HELIOS successfully engaged an aerial drone. In a 2025 demonstration, Preble downed four drones using the laser.

Still, countering hypersonic missiles requires significantly greater output. The Navy estimates roughly 300 kilowatts would be needed to defeat anti-ship cruise missiles. This requirement led to the creation of HELCAP, the High Energy Laser Counter-Anti-Ship Cruise Missile Program. According to the Navy’s fiscal year 2025 budget submission, HELCAP is intended to “expedite the development, experimentation, integration and demonstration of critical technologies to defeat crossing Anti-Ship Cruise Missiles.”

The Gerald R. Ford is expected to serve into the 2050s, integrating next-generation technologies as they mature. As hypersonic systems such as the DF-17 continue to shape strategic calculations, the race between missile speed and directed-energy defense is redefining the future of naval warfare.