How deadly is CJ-1000, world’s first hypersonic plane killer? PLA gives hint

Amid the roar of China’s military parade on September 3, a few trucks rolled through Tiananmen Square with camouflaged loads tagged “CJ-1000”.

The trucks were hauling surface-launched hypersonic cruise missiles also known as Long Sword-1000s – weapons designed for ultra-long-range strikes on “system-node targets on the ground, at sea or in the air”, according to Chinese state media.

China has not officially disclosed the detailed specifications of the CJ-1000. Though a new weapon must pass many rounds of field tests before entering service, no test results have yet been published by the authorities.

However, if the parade description is confirmed, the weapon could be the first hypersonic plane-killing missile that would rewrite the rules of aerial warfare.

It would allow the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to strike high-value airborne assets such as aerial refuelling tankers, airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft, reconnaissance platforms from thousands of kilometres away, at speeds exceeding Mach 5.