Hypersonic weapons could be “catastrophic” for the most potent aircraft carrier group in the US fleet, according to war game simulations run by a team of military planners in China.

Over 20 intense battles, Chinese forces sank the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier fleet with a volley of 24 hypersonic anti-ship missiles, in a simulation run on a mainstream war game software platform used by China’s military.

In the scenario, the US vessels are attacked after continuing to approach a China-claimed island in the South China Sea despite repeated warnings.

It said the results of the hypersonic strikes had been made public for the first time, in a paper published in May by the Chinese-language Journal of Test and Management Technology.

Military planners often used computer-generated battle scenarios to game out strategies but experts warn they cannot be overly relied upon in real-life conflict where terrain, weather and other unforeseen factors can disrupt weaponry.

The scenario was based on an attack on US vessels that proceeded towards an island claimed by China in the disputed South China Sea. Researchers said some of the missiles in the three-wave attack were fired from as far away as the Gobi Desert.

The report could not be independently verified. Analysts also cast doubt on the motivation for its release. “Anyone who discusses publicly the outcome of a war game or simulation has a political objective, especially if they frame the result as a win or a loss,” said Drew Thompson, a former senior US defence official, now based at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore (NUS).

According to BNN, These simulations underscore the evolving threat landscape and the need for continued research and development to enhance the defensive capabilities of US aircraft carrier groups. The vulnerability exposed by hypersonic weapons demands further attention and strategic planning to ensure the protection of naval assets and the safety of personnel.