Not only that the Chinese HGV made an around the world flight inside the atmosphere but launched a "weapon" as well. The Americans first claimed that during their observations following the Chinese vehicle, they detected a "weapon launched" off from the vehicle then months later the Chinese officially stated that as well - "deploying countermeasures" and here we have speculated those "countermeasures" are either dropping ordinance or to counter interceptors.
Chinese Hypersonic Developments (HGVs/HCMs)
- Thread starter A.Man
- Start date
I have heard about Xiamen Uni test but not the Tsinghua Uni test. Could you describe more about the Tsinghua project?
The challenge is to make them cheaply and quickly enough so that hypersonic (glide) weapons can be used in conventional warfare that involves some degree of calculus and consideration for attrition.
It is no accident that China officially stated that they have "solved problems relating to the cost of hypersonic weapons"... this is the real major problem for Russia, China, USA. US have long been saying that hypersonic weapons are extremely cost prohibitive (for the US) and therefore believes that China only uses hypersonic (glide) weapons for nuclear exchange scenarios. Then China officially stated that they can make hypersonic weapons like conventional missiles since they've worked out ways to manufacture them quickly and cheaply enough. Exactly how much we won't know but unlikely to be the same as a typical anti-ship missile or even land attack cruise missile. Or the statement is for political posturing.
The pattern of behaviour for China is to show only a fraction of what it has and is capable of. By 2019 when it revealed DF-ZF, the Americans have been observing and reporting on its flight since at least 2012 iirc. DF-100 was also revealed (but no details except it is likely scramjet powered) and likely based on "Starry Sky" project. It also mostly shows strategic weapons (of which these certainly are even more so than 5th gen fighters) well after they have been in service.
But China has been very candid on developments in aerospace.
It has revealed and even shown the actual photos of the new Tsinghua University hypersonic engine. It showed the Xiamen University dual waverider test. It officially discloses it has combined cycle engines in test flights, tested a hypersonic "aircraft" at least once and landed it, flew oblique detonation scramjets "sodramjet" and announced some of its methods for assisting hypersonic flight within atmosphere using some laser based, supercavitation like method. It even revealed DF-ZF vehicle and some grainy photos of DF-100 and some detailed photos of Starry Sky (albeit obviously not the DF-100 except similar in general concept and configuration).
It should have made mention many times on this thread and also the Chinese Ballistic Missile thread and the Chinese Science and Tech Developments thread.
Here is just a general glimpse of literature in English. A lot of transparency here and I think China's hidden abilities in these fields are the subsurface of the iceberg.
China, US, and UK are all at the front of the race towards SSTO, hypersonic aircraft, and the propulsion for them. Many exotic forms of propulsion being developed and even test flown in China from the electromagnetic plasma drive engine to combined cycle engines and various forms of detonation engines.
The Tsinghua University experiment engine is this one... something not sensitive enough to even hide.
China's Space Program News Thread
The University team recovered the flight section in central China after test flight. Apparently useful for examining the mechanisms' conditions post flight.
The stuff mentioned here are just the summaries. Read through the threads mentioned for the literature, statements, news, test flights, and photos (some blurred photos of the engines are even allowed).
My god you have some misunderstanding. A test conducted by a university does not mean that the weapon is anywhere news service.
The US hasn't fielded anything. Hell, the US can't even get the GD things off the plane AND ignite the booster. US hypersonics is a complete shitshow at this point.
"Intercontinental" and "tactical" are, by definition, opposites.
Pretty much everywhere.
Intercontinental = strategic
Shorter range = tactical.
This is why you don't see non-strategic systems in strategic arms talks. If payload was all that mattered countries could just put smaller warheads on their ICBMs, declare them "tactical" weapons and say they aren't included in strategic arms treaties anymore.
A Redstone missile had a max range of 200 miles and a 3.8 megaton warhead.
Minuteman III with Mk-12RVs had an 8000 mile range and 170kt warheads.
Which is the strategic weapon? The Pershing 1A had a 400kt warhead but wasn't included in any strategic arms talks. Why not?
Your glider would be considered a strategic weapon even if it only had a 0.02kt warhead.
China is not party to any strategic arms treaties.